Sprinter Chane Kok excited to compete against the seniors in the new season

Sprinter Chane Kok excited to compete against the seniors in the new season

Chane Kok, the reigning champion in the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Youth and Junior Track and Field 100m hurdles category, is brimming with optimism as she prepares for the upcoming season, poised to compete against seasoned senior athletes.

A 20-year-old Bcom Business Management at the University of Pretoria, Kok clinched the prestigious ASA Junior Female Athlete of the year award. Anticipation mounts as she eagerly awaits the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships set for Pietermaritzburg later this year.

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Boasting a personal best of 13.77 seconds, Kok habours aspirations of ascending to the pinnacle of sprinting in her country while also nurturing dreams of representing her country on the grand stage of the Olympic Games.

''It really feels amazing, I thank God everyday that he gave me the talent. My biggest highlight was the African Junior champs in Zambia, which was my first international race. 2023 was such an amazing year for me,'' said Kok.

In 2024, Kok enters her senior year, having clinched the African Under-20 100m hurdles gold medal in Zambia the previous year. Anticipation bubbles within her as she looks forward to challenging South African senior champion Marione Fourie, a figure she deeply admires, in the senior ranks.

''I am very excited it is my first senior year, I'm putting my eyes on the African game seniors - I think it will be full surprises.''

''Marione is such an incredible athlete, I look up to her and competing with her is an honor,'' added Kok. 

Under the guidance of her coach, Irma Reyneke, Kok eagerly anticipates the upcoming senior championships in Kwa-Zulu Natal this year. Set to compete in the senior national event, her aim is to surpass her personal best of 13.77 seconds in the race.

''I'm looking forward to it very much, I think it is going to be very fun. My goal for this year is to go beyond 13.77,'' she concluded.