Adams SA’s new track sensation
Lad disappointed he’s not in Gold Coast-bound team
A new SA sprint star is born.
Luxolo Adams is the latest addition to the country’s growing number of budding sprinters.
At the SA Senior Championships in Pretoria a fortnight ago, the 21-year-old speedster shattered his personal best to win the 200m final, clocking 20.08 seconds. At the final leg of the Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix in Paarl last week, he went even quicker, storming home in 20.01 seconds and handed firm favourite Anaso Jobodwana his first defeat of the season. “I believe that this victory [at the Grand Prix] will be the turning point in my career,” Adams told Sowetan.
He is, however, disappointed to not have made it to the SA’s final team to the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast next month.
The lad from Burdersdorp in the Eastern Cape, however, takes solace on his imminent debut in the Diamond League. He will line-up at the Doha, Qatar meeting in May and looks forward to the event.
“I do not know if they select based on one’s reputation or what.
“I knew by this time I would be running faster times, but unfortunately they selected the team before the national championships and the Grand Prix,” said Adams, who looks up to South Africa’s golden boy, Wayde van Niekerk.
“My role model is Wayde. I like him because he came from nowhere.”
“In Burdersdorp there were no tracks to train, but I was training on gravel road. I spoke to him [Van Niekerk] at the SA Champs last year. We were doing the heats with him and I was afraid.’’