It is scary that Curro Hazeldean's prodigious hurdler Matodzi Ndou is still finding his form.
Despite having only returned to the track recently, he was responsible for the standout performance during the Curro Podium Grand Finale on Saturday at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria.
He performed very well in the 110m hurdles for boys and not only did he break the meeting record but also the South African Youth record with his impressive time of 13.21 seconds.
"I only started training last week. I don't feel that my fitness level is where it should be, so I wasn't expecting to break the record," said Ndou.
The previous record holder for the meeting as well as the SA Youth record was Naheem Jack (Paarl Boys' High). Jack's meeting record stood at 13.37 seconds, while his national record stood at 13.25 seconds with which he won the SA Youth Championship last year.
Jack's time of 13.72 seconds earlier this year was also the world's best thus far for this age group.
If Ndou could build on his performance during the Curro Podium Grand Finale he will be a serious contender for a medal at the World Youth Championship in Lima, Peru later this year.
"I started running in Grade 1, but I didn't take the sport seriously until Grade 4 when I realised that I'm good at it and started training."
Ndou is coached by Thabo Matebedi at Curro Hazeldean. Coach T, as he is affectionately known, is one of the top sprint coaches in the country.
Ndou didn't manage to defend his title as champion in the 400m hurdles for boys u17 as he had to settle for a bronze in 52.03 seconds. His meeting record from last year (51.01) was also smashed by his Curro Hazeldean teammate Lesibe Dikgale (50.59).
"My goal for this year is to dip under 50 seconds in the longer hurdles or even 49 seconds if everything goes to plan," said Ndou.
Pretoria News