UCT athletes pull out all the stops

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Athletics Club is home to two new medals after an impressive performance by the institution’s athletes at the 2019 University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament earlier this month.

UCT Athletics chairperson Oduor Ochieng praised students Sophie Cope, Amy Abrahams, Megan McCarley and Rebekah Swanepoel for pulling out all the stops in the women‘s half marathon and bringing home the team competition gold medal for UCT.

Thalosang Tshireletso, meanwhile, won a silver medal in the men’s triple jump.

Paralympian Mpumelelo Mhlongo, a chemical engineering PhD student, also put in an impressive sporting performance to qualify for the long jump final and 100-metre sprint semi-final, while medical honours student Christian Cotchobos finished in sixth place in the 800-metre men’s final.

A proud moment

Ochieng said he was especially proud of Mhlongo, who participated in two big events on the same day, describing his performance as “commendable to say the least”.

Mhlongo said he was excited to see that more athletes participated in this year’s USSA tournament than in previous years.

“There is no substitute for the value sport adds to an individual and community, especially given that one of the most historic moments of our democratic history was shaped by the ’95 rugby sporting moment of the nation lifting the [World] Cup.

“Whether I am in the green and gold or in the steel blue, I always burst with pride.”

“Whether I am in the green and gold or in the steel blue, I always burst with pride.”

Ochieng said while the club won one less medal than in 2018, an equal amount of training and planning went into this year’s sporting event and spirits remained high. He told UCT News that the club has also embarked on a journey of growth and transformation, the results of which will be evident only in future seasons.

“Competing at this level requires a lot of preparation and planning, and a lot of hard work has been happening behind the scenes. The mood has been joyful and reflective,” Ochieng added.