Africa-Press – Kenya. Junior athletes are excited at the prospect of launching their international careers and winning medals at the World Under 20 Championships, which start today at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Kenya’s Sylvia Chelangat (400m and mixed 4x400m), Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, (100m hurdles), high jump Angelina Topic (Serbia), Frenchman Sasha Zhoya (110m hurdles) said they are looking forward to launching their athletics careers in Nairobi.
South Africa’s Lythe Pillay, (400m and 4x400m), who has already represented his country at the World Relays in Silesia, Poland and at the recent Tokyo Olympic Games, said he was using the event to prepare for the World Under 20.
Pillay is among 13 Olympians who will take part in the five-day event.
“Even though I participated at the two events, my main focus was Under 20. Of course, I’m under pressure,” said the athlete who looks up to fellow South African Wayde van Niekerk.
Chelangat said: “It’s my first time to represent my country at international level and I want to do well. We already have inspiration from 100m national record holder Ferdinand Omanyala. But in the future, I want to upgrade to 800m like my role model Mary Moraa.”
Zhoya, whose father is from Zimbabwe, said he is enthusiastic about running on his father’s continent.
“It’s a big boost for me to run in Africa. This is the beginning of my journey to extend French dominance in hurdles. I want to continue with the legacy because after this, my focus will be the World Championships and then Olympics, at home,” said the confident hurdler.
Topic said she is keen to follow in her father and mother’s footsteps. Her father was a high jumper while her mother was a triple jumper.
“In as much as I want to follow their legacy, I also want to set my own history. I fell in love with sports when I was young because I used to accompany my parents during training sessions,” she said.
However, she added: “I’m scared. I hope things will be okay. I’m terrified ahead of the event.”
Nugent, a student at Baylor University, admitted it’s not easy to mix athletics with school but nonetheless draws inspiration from countrywoman and multiple Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
“It’s not easy but I’m managing it. She Fraser-Pryce is outgoing and a people person who inspires and motives us,” said Nugent.
The athletes were speaking at Moi Stadium, Kasarani during a pre-event press conference before the main event starts on Wednesday morning.
