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Former South African 400m champion Lythe Pillay has his eyes firmly set on a podium finish at the upcoming World Senior Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
Pillay, who burst onto the global stage by clocking a personal best of 45.28 seconds to win the World Under-20 400m title in Cali, Colombia in 2022, has since competed at two Olympic Games and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
Despite his early promise, he has yet to reach a senior final.
Speaking to SABC Sport, Pillay said he is determined to change that narrative and secure a medal at his second World Championships.
"The goal is to achieve a lot more, and I'll never shy away from my ambition and willingness to throw goals out there," highlighted Pillay.
"If I go the championship, I'm going there with the ambition of winning, but my surgery has made me realise that I may not get it all at once."
The 22-year-old told the national broadcaster that transitioning from junior to senior level has taught him important lessons.
He highlighted the noticeable differences between the two levels and said the experience has been a steep but valuable learning curve.
The South African 4x400m World Relay Championships gold medallist believes that his coach, Lindi du Plessis—who began coaching him in Grade 8 back in 2017—has been growing alongside him throughout his athletics journey.
"My biggest frustration to date is that at past World Championship events, I haven't run the times that I'd been running throughout the season.
"Competing at a huge event is just different from the average event; it is a high-pressure situation, so it can be difficult to reach your peak in time, but I believe that together with coach Lindi, we have discovered the sweet spot."
The University of Johannesburg student also spoke about his brotherly rivalry with national 400m champion Zakhithi Nene, saying their friendly competition is pushing him to improve and become a stronger athlete on the track.
