Lowveld laser runners take on the world’s best
Three dedicated athletes from the Lowveld shone at the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Laser Run World Championships held in Lisbon, Portugal, from September 22 to 25.
They were members of the South African team who participated under the banner of the South African Modern Pentathlon Association.
Laser run combines running and shooting in fast-paced and dynamic races, including rounds of laser pistol shooting from 5m to 10m and running laps from 300m to 600m. Athletes have to hit a target in the green five times before they can run.
Janke Steenkamp of White River Primary School finished fourth in the girls’ U13 event.
The competitors had to complete a 300m run and five-hit target shoot, three times.
Janke froze the stopwatch on 03:55:00 and was only one second from a bronze medal.
In the boys’ U11 race, Reuben Matthysen, who attends Laerskool Nelspruit, finished eighth.
U11 competitors had to complete two rounds of a 300m run and a 5m target shoot.
There was also a team competition in which the times of the fastest three laser shooters from each country were added. The fastest combined time decided the winners.
Reuben and his South African teammates, Pieter Schoeman (who finished third in the individual competition) and Wian Wagenaar (who finished 10th in the individual competition) claimed the U11 silver medals, finishing third with a combined time of 08:04:10, 10 seconds behind the gold medallists from Great Britain.
Julian Middel finished 10th in the boys’ U13 2022 Laser Run World Championships.
In this even the competitors did three rounds of a 300m run and a 5m target shoot.
The Laerskool Nelspruit pupil, Julian, clocked a time of 03:54:90.
Julian and national teammates Albertus Myburgh and Malan Schoeman combined to take second place in the team competition in a time of 11:36:20.
In the U11 mixed relay (2x300m; 2x5 hits on target), Reuben and Munay Uys did South Africa proud, winning bronze medals in a time of 04:53:90.
In the U13 mixed relay, Janke teamed up with fellow South African Albertus to take third place in 04:40:50.
Julian partnered Tatiana Thomatos to fourth place in the same event.
• Six Lowvelders will compete in the UIPM Biathle and Triathle World Championships in Machico on the island of Madeira, Portugal.
In triathle, athletes compete in a shoot-swim-run competition. Biathle consists of running and swimming.
Reuben (biathle and triathle), Eben Obermeyer (Hoërskool Nelspruit; biathle and triathle), Ciska van der Merwe (White River Primary; biathle and triathle), Zoë Morgado (Curro Nelspruit; biathle), Zoë Jansen van Vuuren (Laerskool Lydenburg; triathle) and Gerrit Kroon (Grey College Primary; biathle) will compete in Madeira.