Shaun Maswanganyi Reflects on Legendary Carl Lewis's Guidance After Breaking Indoor Sprint Record
South African sprinter Shaun Maswanganyi reflects on the invaluable mentorship of legendary coach Carl Lewis after setting a new indoor sprint record in Texas. Discover how their unique relationship has fueled his success and his preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Image Credits: Ghannamma
South African track and field athlete Shaun Maswanganyi is reaching greater heights in his career, the 23-year-old set a new sprint record in the USA.
Clocking 20.41 seconds at an indoor track and field meet in Texas, the young runner has shown that he has more than “potential” and a hunger to succeed.
When it comes down to it though, good mentorship also forms an integral part of managing talent and Maswanganyi has that in his coach, American former Olympic champion Carl Lewis. Winning nine Olympic gold medals in a career spanning from 1979 to 1996, Lewis made history and is generally regarded as one of the best athletes of all time.
Image Credit: News 24
On being coached by Lewis
Maswanganyi reflected on having Lewis as his guide and how much that has helped with his performance.
“To have Carl Lewis as a coach is definitely special. I speak about it all the time, he’s more than just a coach to me. He’s more than a mentor. He’s a father figure in many aspects,” Maswanganyi told SportsBoom.com.
The athlete heaped loads of adoration for Lewis, showing appreciation for the fact that their relationship doesn’t end after practice sessions, but he is someone that he can lean on even outside of the sport.
The young runner compared his relationship with Lewis to the one he had with his high school coach, whom he credits for getting him to where he is today, and he sought after the very same type of dynamic with the American track and field legend.
“It came naturally and that’s the thing that I am most grateful about. You know, trials and tribulations just made our relationship ever so stronger, and to have a legend like that coach you is very special,” he explained.
“He’s always there for me, and at the end of the day he’s done everything that I probably aspire to do in athletics so he’s the man for the job and I’m just grateful to have him in my life and I just pray that our relationship just keeps getting stronger and stronger and he keeps being my mentor on and off the track.”
We just tried to become more technical with the 200m indoors and in doing so I was able to go out there and execute. Overall, I am grateful for my coach and I’m grateful for the consistency, everything comes in due time.
Shaun Maswananyi
On 2024 Olympic Games and elevating his craft
Maswanganyi is currently preparing for the 2024 Olympic Games which will be held in Paris from July to August and will be hoping to improve from the Tokyo Games three years ago. Having elevated his game even more, he has plenty to look forward to as he also recently was named in the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list.
What makes this a special feat is that it is a series of lists published yearly by Forbes magazine and some of its regional editions featuring 30 prominent individuals under the age of 30 in a variety of fields.
As for the record he recently set, the Olympian noted that it was a work in progress because he was not accustomed to running indoors in South Africa, so he had to adjust to a different challenge.
“It’s not as easy as it may sound because there’s a lot of technicalities when it comes to indoor racing and you’ve got to run the race more to gain experience,” he said.
Before setting the record, Maswanganyi explained that he kept at it and beat his own personal records before finally reaching his goal. As he developed more on a personal level, he spoke to Lewis, and they worked together because he believed that he could actually match the record that existed at the time.
Thando Mpembe is a dynamic sports reporter, where the thrill of the game meets the art of storytelling. With over five years of experience in the journalism industry and an honours degree, Thando has successfully fused a passion for entertainment with an undying love for sports.