Simone Du Toit of RSA during the Shot Put qualifications at the World Youth Championships (© Getty Images)
MarrakechNew world youth shot put champion Simone du Toit has one major hurdle to overcome in her future development – she is too good.
Despite being only 16, she struggles to find anyone of any age who can give her a decent competition at home in South Africa.
She believes that, without being pushed, her progress is being stinted and to solve the problem might move to Europe to find a higher standard.
Du Toit, who had already won a silver medal at the championships in her weaker event, the discus, extended her personal best by 29 centimetres to 16.33m.
That leaves her only 18 centimetres below Marli Knoetze in the South African senior rankings. The next best on this year’s list is Mariska van Zyl at 13.74 and these three are among only seven women to have thrown more than 13 metres this season.
“I never suffer nerves because is in the shot put there is no competition for me,” said Du Toit. “I compete with the seniors but I win against them also. My biggest competition is myself. I think if I get a good competition from someone I will get a lot better.”
Even at the World Youth Championships, China’s Bo Li was her closest challenger and she was 41 centimetres down on the South African.
Du Toit explained why having no regular serious rivals was such a big factor as she tries now to focus on next year’s IAAF World Junior Championships and the 2008 Olympics, both in Beijing.
“It does harm my improvement because the one time you get good competition, it shocks you and you don’t know what to do,” she said. “But if you’re used to having good competition all the time, you can get better and you can grow. You’re always competing against yourself and the one time you’re competing against others it shocks you.”
After picking up silver in the discus with 52.10m behind Australia’s Dani Samuels, she said of her shot win: “I’m feeling ecstatic.”
She added: “I can’t fault anything. Every international competition, you get little butterflies and you get a bit unsure so when you break (after the third round), it tends to be your worst throw. It was my worst throw today.”
Despite her difficulty in finding an adequate level of competition, Du Toit loves the sport in which she been taking part in discus and shot put since she was 11.
“I’m doing it because I love it,” she said. “I think God made me like I am to do these events.”
Being still at school, it is difficult for Du Toit to compete overseas but she is considering relocating when she finishes there.
“I’m still at school so I am thinking of going to Europe and studying, training and competing there,” she said. “There I will be closer to the international seniors and get competition in that way.”
