Lythe Pillay reclaims national 400m title

Despite the cold and tough conditions, Pillay delivered a strong performance to prepare for the Commonwealth Games and African Senior Championships in Ghana and Scotland later this year.

The former King Edward College learner told SABC Sport that he followed his race plan and it worked well for him. 

"The plan was just to execute, I knew that at the end today I would be in my inside lane so I wouldn't be able to gauge them so I either had to run straight to the finish or they caught me earlier on. So, my plan was just to run strong and I know where my strengths are this season and just to bare out the weather," Pillay said.

The two-time Olympian said he was not focused on the time but wanted to win and become national champion again. 

He added that he will focus more on improving his time during his European tour.

"It was comfortable and it would have been nice to go for a time today but it's too early in the season. I have some races coming up so I'm just gauging my body, trying to nail my consistency from now for majors this year," he added.

The men’s 400m final was slightly delayed, but the 23-year-old said it did not affect him. 

He stayed calm and focused on winning the race.