National relay star Bradley Nkoana says he is mentally ready to deal with the “vultures” of sprinting as he aims to make his mark as an individual racer too.
The North West University student, a member of the 4x100m team that won the 2024 Olympic silver and 2025 World Relays gold, was speaking after clocking the fastest men’s 100m time at the Hezekiel Sepeng Invitational in Potchefstroom on Wednesday night.
He raced to victory in the first heat in 10.13sec, ahead of Mvuyo Moss of the University of Johannesburg in 10.17.
In the main 100m sprint a few minutes later, veteran Wayde van Niekerk finished first in 10.17, just ahead of Emile Erasmus in 10.19.
Benjamin Richardson, Nkoana’s training partner at NWU who has decided to switch national allegiance to Ireland, was fourth in the second heat in 10.21.
Nkoana was chuffed with his performance at the meet, which had been rescheduled after being rained out on Tuesday night.
Right now I’m running to prove something to myself because I have goals and dreams as well and this year I’m already starting to tick my boxes.
— Bradley Nkoana
“I’ve just been always that guy that people just [see] on the side,” Nkoana, who has a 10.03 personal best, said after clocking the fifth-fastest 100m time of his career," he sad.
“Right now I’m running to prove something to myself because I have goals and dreams as well, and this year I’m already starting to tick my boxes.”
He ran the third leg of the relay at Paris 2024 and again in China in 2025, handing over the baton to veteran star Akani Simbine on both occasions.
Nkoana, 21, admitted it had taken him a while to get to grips with his success.
“After winning the Olympic medal, you kind of feel like you achieved everything that you wanted to achieve. Olympics is regarded as the pinnacle of sports.
“So after that I just showed up at races, half-ready, not mentally there, letting people beat me mentally. But after going to world champs [in Tokyo last year], I realised that I can do better for myself.”
He trained particularly hard during the off-season to get ready for 2026.
“These people are vultures here on the track, you know; no one is friendly. And I also needed to step up and show them I’m not friendly as well. That was the goal today.
“No more Mr Nice Guy,” he added with a laugh. “I can be nice outside after the race, but in the race I’m just focused. That’s how I am now.”
Van Niekerk said he needed to work on his race. “It’s still a very new feeling for me, just to switch my mind back. Running the 100m is a very focused mentality, and I need to execute it a bit more aggressively.
“I definitely feel like I’ve got a lot of work that I need to do, but I’ve been averaging in the lower 10 seconds [this season so far], so I’m really satisfied with that and I feel positive about it.”
TimesLIVE
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