Springbok rugby coach Rassie Erasmus sent an encouraging message to young South African athletes participating in the Junior World Athletics Championships in the USA. He urged the young athletes to believe in themselves, embrace the pressure of international competition, and proudly represent their country, as the South African team started the tournament in Eugene, Oregon, with great promise.
The world rugby champion recorded a special address for the national team before the championships in the USA, encouraging the teenagers to trust the hard work that allowed them to reach the world stage. In a video clip published on the Team SA social media, Erasmus told the team: 'Success is not always victory. It is simply presence and representing your country, wearing your country's colors. Accept this—you are here, and you are doing it for South Africa.'
These words proved timely when 16-year-old shot putter Jacob van Dijk won South Africa's first medal at the championship on Wednesday. After a confident qualification throw of 19.09 m, Van Dijk set a personal record in the final—19.80 m, earning a bronze medal. Alessandro Borges from Brazil won gold with a result of 20.35 m, while Si-hoon Park from South Korea took silver with a result of 20.31 m.
Erasmus focused much of his message on the importance of belief, asserting that confidence is built through preparation, not just desire. He stated: 'Hard work gives you belief. Your team around you, your fathers, your mothers, your coaches, and everyone who invested in you believes in you. You hardly have the right not to believe in yourself because so many other people believe in you.'
This philosophy underpinned the recent success of the Springboks, and Erasmus believes it can be applied equally to young athletes competing on the world stage. He also tried to change the perception of anxiety often accompanying major championships, advising athletes to accept nervousness rather than fear it. Erasmus noted: 'Everyone thinks nerves mean you are worried, but nerves mean you care. You care because you are representing your family, your coaches, and South Africa. If you are nervous because you don't want to disappoint people, those are good nerves.'
South Africa's first day showed there is still much to see after Van Dijk's performance. The quad in the 4x400m relay twice broke the South African junior record. Rhino Rickert, Zant van der Merwe, Abelins Schoman, and Isabella Hunter ran 3:22.12 in the semi-finals, and then Rickert, Schoman, Isabella Hunter, and David Strong improved the time to 3:21.48 in the final, finishing sixth overall.
Javelin thrower Jan-Hendrik Heymans was also among the gold favorites, launching the javelin 76.02 m in qualification, six meters further than any other participant. Marques Olivier also reached the final with a throw of 68.77 m. On the track, Marco Ferreira advanced to the men's 100m final after winning the semi-final with a time of 10.13 seconds, and Ashlyn Norman qualified for the women's long jump final with a jump of 6.11 m. Werner Gouws, Emil Els, and Caris van Rooyen also advanced to their respective 800m semi-finals.
Erasmus concluded his message by reminding athletes not to let fear become their main opponent. He said: 'My worst feeling has always been regret. Regret over not believing or trusting myself. The athlete next to you is as nervous as you are. Believe in yourself, enjoy representing South Africa, and enjoy the moment.'
