Latest news with #Wildschutt
The South African
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Adriaan Wildschutt plots his record-breaking path
Adriaan Wildschutt returned to Paris on Friday night for the first time since his debut Olympic Games last year with the intention of using the Diamond League experience as another step towards his goal of medalling at the World Championships in September. However, the 27-year-old Olympian had contemplated withdrawing from the race after waking up 'very sick' on Friday morning and didn't threaten his personal best in the 5 000m (12:55.02) which he set in March. He finished 14th in 13:28.67 in Paris, in a race won by Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha (12:47.84) and contained an array of season bests, personal bests and national records. 'I didn't want to give up before I even tried. It turns out, not the best decision on my end. But we learn and move on. Trust me when I say, we will be back way better and stronger,' he wrote on his social media. That debut Olympic campaign last August saw Adriaan Wildschutt feature in the fastest 10 000m in Olympic history. Thirteen of the finalists broke the previous Olympic record including Wildschutt who finished 10th in 26:50.64. Breaking records has become habit to the Florida State University MBA graduate. Since the beginning of 2023, he has lowered the national record in the 3 000m, 5 000m, and 10 000m a total of seven times combined. There is no sign of him relenting as he chases new personal bests in each event. Those PBs now happen to be NRs. 'It is always a nice feeling to win a race, but my focus is the time. My goal is to break South African records and continue to raise the bar. Each race has its own field and its own conditions so focusing on my time helps to keep me on track towards my goals without being hung up on one event going well or not. If I continue with my plan, I will keep seeing improvement which I hope will take me to where I want to be.' After the 10 000m Olympic final in Paris, Wildschutt told his Instagram followers that he went into the final with the idea to compete against the best in the world. His performance however, showed that he too belongs in that category. He is now preparing for the World Championships in Tokyo with that belief. 'I have felt a mental shift since then. I can feel it in the way I prepare and train for events. I am no longer trying to just compete. I am now one of those guys looking to win medals. All my training this year is for Tokyo. I will be up against the best yet again, so I know it will not be easy, but I believe I can achieve a medal.' The World Championships is not the final stage in Adriaan Wildschutt's history-seeking career. His focus will begin to shift towards more road races with the first being a half marathon (21km) in October. 'I have a half marathon planned for Valencia after the Worlds. I want to compete in at least one half marathon every year. The 2028 Olympics will be my last as a track runner because I want to transition to the road races for 2032.' South Africa's long-distance specialist loves the busy schedule he has created. He is dedicated to his training and competing and is constantly in pursuit of personal improvement. Off the track, he is based in Arizona, USA, and is currently working on his autobiography. He is also maintaining his Airbnb located in Stellenbosch and has recently begun a business with three partners in America. The busy lifestyle helps him keep a healthy balance between his running and his future that follows. That future is still distant. Now, the World Championships take centre stage, followed by a blend of track and road events, as well as the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. His work ethic, mindset and talent should see him continue his record-breaking habit during this time. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Maxime Chaumeton targets SA 5km road record after causing upset on the track
Chaumeton beat Adriaan Wildschutt to win the South African 5 000m title on the track in Potchefstroom. Distance runner Maxime Chaumeton on his way to victory in the 5 000m race at the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images After pulling off the biggest surprise of the SA Athletics Championships, Maxime Chaumeton hoped he could translate his impressive form into a national record next week. In the last individual race at the domestic track and field showpiece in Potchefstroom on Saturday, Chaumeton stunned pre-race favourite Adriaan Wildschutt to win the men's 5 000m title. While Chaumeton has been one of South Africa's top distance runners in recent years, Olympic 10 000m finalist Wildschutt (based in the United States) has been on a record-breaking spree, setting multiple national marks over the 3 000m, 5 000m and 10 000m distances. And after setting a new SA 10km record of 27:28 on the road in Gqeberha two weeks ago, Wildschutt lined up as the firm favourite to retain his 5 000m title at NWU McArthur Stadium. But Chaumeton made his intentions clear when he hit the front and opened a gap in the 12-and-a-half lap race, with Wildschutt ultimately forced to break away from the chase group and reel him in. After taking the lead, Wildschutt was entangled in a bizarre situation in the closing stages of the race when an athlete being lapped wouldn't let him past, first pushing him into the third lane around a bend and then launching a sprint for a lap before withdrawing from the race. Though Wildschutt reacted, sticking with the backmarker, Chaumeton sat back and let it play out before launching a late kick to surge past Wildschutt and charge to victory in 13:44.53, with Wildschutt settling for the silver medal in 13:53.05. The athlete who joined the mix at the end of the race was a provincial teammate of Chaumeton, with both of them competing in the colours of Central Gauteng Athletics, but Chaumeton insisted it had not been a planned tactical decision. He did, however, admit that it had affected the race. Controlling the race Nonetheless, he was pleased his decision to go out hard had worked in his favour, as he controlled most of the contest. 'Adriaan has been racing a lot, and kudos to him because it's extremely hard to do what he's doing, racing overseas, coming back and hitting a 10km record. I've tried it myself and it's very hard,' said Chaumeton, who is coached by former SA 10 000m record holder Hendrick Ramaala. 'So I knew the only way to really cook it was to go to the front and believe in yourself, not let the group come to you and at least secure second position.' Chaumeton said he would now target his own South African 5km record (13:18) on the road at a race in Tokyo on Thursday. 'I have the only record Adriaan doesn't have (over the distances they compete) and I'm trying to extend it a bit longer,' Chaumeton said. 'I would like to run a new national record. I think I can because we're looking good, and it's just about doing it on the day.'
