By die ASA senior atletiekkampioenskap wat van 12 tot 17 Mei in Accra, Ghana gehou is, het Matao voorverlede Sondag (17\u2009Mei) met ‘n persoonlike beste hoogte van 2.16\u2009m die silwermedalje verower.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aan Hermanus Times<\/em> s\u00ea Matao: “Met die verskil in leefstyl en kultuur was Ghana ‘n baie anderste ondervinding vir my, maar om daar te kon deelneem, was awesome. Daar het 12 atlete aan die hoogspring deelgeneem en ek was verskriklik opgewonde oor my persoonlike beste van 2.16\u2009m en ook dat ek die silwermedalje verower het ten spyte van die shin splints-probleem wat ek ondervind het.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Seniors bring beste in my uit’<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Op ‘n vraag oor hoe hy voel om teen senior atlete deel te neem, antwoord Matao: “Ek verkies dit eintlik om teen seniors deel te neem. Dit is vir my ‘n uitdaging, want hulle druk my om my beste te gee. Ek ontmoet nou baie atlete van ander lande en ek sien baie op na hulle, veral as hulle beter is as ek. Dit bring dan die beste in my ook uit.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘n Hoogtepunt was ook om vir Sebastian Coe van World Athletics te ontmoet. Di\u00e9 bekende middelafstandatleet het op sy dag vier medaljes by die Olimpiese Spele gewen. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matao is baie positief oor die toekoms. “Ek voel goed oor die toekoms. Ek w\u00e9\u00e9t ek kan nog beter vaar en ek is seker dit sal nog kom, met tyd. Ek kan nie nou beserings opdoen nie, so ek kyk mooi na myself. Ek bedank almal wat my so ondersteun, veral my ma wat altyd daar is vir my, en dankie aan God wat elke keer by my is en my dra en krag gee om my beste te lewer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ek is ook baie dankbaar vir my skool, Swartberg Sekond\u00ear, se ondersteuning. Dit was ‘n wonderlike ervaring dat hulle vandag vir my ‘n erewag gehou het.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adrienne Delport, Swartberg se skoolhoof, s\u00ea: “Ons as skool is geweldig trots op Matao. Ek wil h\u00ea hy moet die hoogste hoogtes moontlik bereik en wens vir hom net goeie dinge toe. Ons het vanoggend vir hom ‘n erewag gehou om hom welkom terug te heet en om sy ongelooflike prestasie te erken. Ek wens ook dat daar meer borgskappe na vore kan kom om hom te ondersteun. Die kind is so goed, maar alles moet uit hul [die gesin se] sak uit kom. Ons as skool kan maar net ‘n klein bydrae lewer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Matao is nou in gr.\u200910 en hy vaar ook nou beter in sy akademie. Hy het sy balans gevind en is nou baie meer gedissiplineerd. Jy kan nie gedissiplineerd wees in sport maar dan die akademie agterwe\u00eb laat nie,” s\u00ea Delport.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n o.20-W\u00eareldkampioenskap l\u00ea voor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maeve Jonkers, Matao se ma, s\u00ea: “Ek is ongelooflik trots op Matao se prestasie. Hy is maar 17 jaar oud en is nou die tweede beste senior hoogspringer in Afrika. Hy gebruik sy Godgegewe talent ten volle en daarvoor is ek baie dankbaar. Ook aan sy afrigter, Heinrich Fortuin, s\u00ea ek baie dankie vir sy toewyding en ondersteuning.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Di\u00e9 afrigter s\u00ea: “Die fokus die afgelope paar weke was kwaliteit bo kwantiteit. Ons fokus is nou baie spesifiek met die oog op die o.20-w\u00eareldkampioenskap waar ons graag wil h\u00ea hy moet weer ho\u00ebr spring as sy persoonlike beste. ‘n Mens kan nie meer vra van ‘n atleet as om net sy beste te verbeter op die hoogste vlak van kompetisie nie. Die fokus nou is om grounded te bly, hard te werk en om kop te hou.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Met sy onlangse sprong van 2.15\u2009m het Matao reeds gekwalifiseer om aan die o.20-w\u00eareldkampioenskap, wat van 5 tot 9 Augustus in Oregon, Amerika, gehou sal word, deel te neem. Hy is reeds in die voorlopige span opgeneem. Die amptelike span word binnekort aangekondig.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Suid-Afrika het besonder goed by die Afrika-atletiekkampioenskap vir seniors in Accra, Ghana gevaar deur 22 medaljes te verower. Soos verwag het die hoogspringer Matao le Roux van Caledon bygedra tot 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