Former St Albans Pupil Emerges as the Hidden Gem in Olympics

Former St Albans Pupil Emerges as the Hidden Gem in Olympics A standout member of the South African Olympic athletics team, Shaun Maswanganyi, remains an “unknown factor” despite his extraordinary talent. This exceptional sprinter, now under the mentorship of the legendary Carl Lewis in the United States, began his athletic journey in the Jacaranda City, Pretoria, where he also showed promise as a rugby player in the Blue Bulls’ junior teams.

Maswanganyi is among the elite few South African athletes who have achieved sub-10-second times in the 100m and sub-20-second times in the 200m. Yet, at 23 years old, he remains relatively unknown to many South Africans as he prepares to compete in the Paris Olympic Games this week.

Rising Star Shaun Maswanganyi: South Africa’s Olympic Secret Weapon

Coached by the legendary Carl Lewis at the University of Houston, Maswanganyi’s journey to the top started at St Alban’s College in Pretoria. During his school years, he excelled as a full-back for St Alban’s rugby team and earned a spot in the Blue Bulls’ junior teams. However, in his final year of school, he chose to focus on athletics, a decision that would change his life.

In March 2020, just before the global Covid-19 pandemic, Maswanganyi broke the South African U20 record in the 100m with a time of 10.06 seconds at the Athletics Gauteng North Championship. This achievement paved the way for his move to the United States, where he has been training under Lewis’s guidance in Texas.

Since then, Maswanganyi has significantly improved his personal bests, clocking 9.91 seconds in the 100m and 19.99 seconds in the 200m. As he steps onto the world stage in Paris, the athletics world will be watching closely to see if this rising star can continue his meteoric ascent.