JP wins gold for dad
He won the gold in 06:23 to qualify for the national cross-country championships.
Irun AC top runner Jaun-Pierre (JP) van der Berg dedicated his win at the CGA cross-country championships on August 17 to his sickly father.
The Hoërskool Die Anker learner bagged the junior men’s 2km gold after an incredible performance, beating a formidable line-up that included Nedbank RC’s Keagan Botha and Tebogo Matsimela of Top Runners.
“My father is in hospital. I ran for him today,” he said.
The 17-year-old beat the sweltering heat and dust from the nearby mine dumps, as well as a gust of wind on the home stretch to win the provincial title in a quick-fire 06:23.
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Geordan Harris of Panorama pipped Matsimela to the silver after their race came down to a photo finish.
“The race was good. The course was flat. There were not too many ups and downs. The heat wasn’t bad, but the wind was against me on the last stretch.”
This victory sealed Van der Berg’s qualification for the national cross-country championships on September 7.
Although the margins are tight between him and his competitors in his category, he believes he has a good chance of winning the national title in Vanderbijlpark.
“I am expecting gold. I’ve worked hard for what I want. If you look at my results and compare them to athletes from across the country, it’s quite tight. But I will push for victory,” Van der Berg said.
The runner who clinched the UIPM laser run world championships U19 title in China in June credited his humility, hard work and consistency for his successful club season.
“Staying focused is one of the main reasons. What has also been important is not getting interrupted by stupid things, staying hydrated and eating the right meals.”
Though he still has lots of work to do, Van der Berg would like to win an Olympic gold medal for South Africa.
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“If it works out, I want to compete in the 3 000m steeplechase or 1 500m. If it doesn’t work out, I will focus on the laser run,” he said.
Van der Berg’s Irun teammates, Matthew Pietroiusti, Mikayla Mans and Kelly-Lynn Barkley capped off a good season for the club after qualifying for the nationals.
Benonian Pietroiusti finished fifth in 12:10 in the U12 boys’ 3km race, which ended in drama when Sanele Mthonjeni of Boxer controversially survived a disqualification after shoving, impeding and attempting to grab Fourways Road Runners’ Lance Gray metres from the finish line.
Barkley also clocked a fifth-place finish in the U15 girls’ 4km race. She crossed the line at 17:07. Mans was fifth in the U10 girls’ 2km event at 08:34.
