19 April 2023
Michaelhouse’s Ruben Visagie has enjoyed an outstanding athletics season, tearing up the track in the middle distances. During the Easter holiday, he demonstrated his versatility by excelling in the 800m at the SA Schools Athletics Championships in Germiston.
Silver medal
Despite not running his preferred distance of 1 500m, he shone in the two-lap race, stopping the clock in 1:52.74, which was good for second place.
In January, at an Athletics South Africa League meeting in Pietermaritzburg, the Farfield boarder did the double, winning the 1 500m in 3:59, which qualified him for the Nationals, and the 800m in 2:03. His 800m time at the recent SA Schools Athletics Championships was over 10 seconds faster!
Then, in early March, he broke the KwaZulu-Natal record for the under-18 800m, running a time of 1:52. He followed that up by putting his name behind the 1 500m record, clocking 3:53.
Later that month, competing in the Athletics South Africa Youth and Junior Track and Field Championships at the Msunduzi Athletics Stadium, he, once again, smashed the 1 500m record, winning the race in 3:50.92.
Ruben Visagie wins 2023 SA Boys u18 Championships 1 500m in 3:50.92 in Pietermaritzburg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hppxkrF2XE
International competition
Next up for Visagie will be donning the national colours of South Africa to represent the country in the CAA African u18/u20 Track and Field Championships, which take place at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, from 29 April to 3 May.
He is the only KwaZulu-Natal under-18 athlete in the team, and he will be contesting the 1 500m.
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