SA's Road to Rio: Meet 400m hurdler Lindsay Hanekom

In his quest to qualify for the Rio Olympics, he fell just 0.07 seconds (007) seconds short of an Olympic A-standard qualifying time with a dash of 49.47 seconds at the SA Student Championship in Polokwane in April this year.

But no sooner had he fallen agonisingly close to posting a qualifying time, than he reached the magic mark with a personal best of 49.03 in the heats at the SA Open Athletics Championship in Bloemfontein a week later. So, effectively he never lost his 'Licence to Kill', accomplishing his goal of Olympic qualification.

After Bloemfontein, he had appearances lined up at IOC Challenge meetings in Dakar, Bratislava in Slovakia, Luzern, Switzerland and Lignano, Italy.

But as life would have it, it didn't quite go as planned and Hanekom faced more hurdles than those placed before him on the athletics track.

His progress was stunted by a quad injury which side-lined him for close to six weeks and being unable to compete, he was never able to match or better his personal-best mark.

A lengthy period of rehabilitation and strength training under the watchful eye of Coach Nico van Heerden at the Tuks/HP in Pretoria appears to have done the trick and he will board the plane to Rio this weekend as a part of Team South Africa.

Van Heerden was very impressed by his charge's attitude to training and equally impressed with his hunger to succeed and convinced that Hanekom can still make a fist of it in Rio, having improved his times significantly this season. 

As Van Heerden indicated, the growth and development of an Olympic athlete tends to work in four year cycles, which, barring injury and an alarming lack of form, could see 23-year-old Hanekom peaking by 2020.

Hanekom, who lost his mother at the age of nine, started his sporting life as a middle distance athlete in primary school, later switching to hurdles.

"Not having my mom around was something difficult to deal with," admitted Hanekom. "The passion I have for athletics keeps me going. Track and field is where I'm happy, it makes me forget everything. It takes the pain away although it never fades. My success I attribute to my mother."

Hanekom lists 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Cornel Fredericks as his idol and role model and is disappointed that he won't be competing against him in Rio. Fredericks failed to qualify for the Olympics.

"The most important thing I have learned from Cornel is to stay modest. Any athlete is only as good as his last race."

And modesty is certainly what defines the affable hurdler. "To achieve the objectives that I have set for myself would be a dream come true. I just want to be successful not for the fame, but to inspire others that are coming after me to also achieve their dreams, "he said.

Religion also plays a big role in his life. "I have a favourite biblical quote from Luke 18:27 which reads: 'The things that seem impossible to men, is possible to God'. 

"I believe strongly in chasing my dream, believing in your God given ability and to always praying through good and bad times", he added.

For now, he has his mind set on qualifying for the final in Rio. 

GET TO KNOW LINDSAY

Birthday: 15 May 1993 (23 years old)

Olympic event: 400-hurdles

Best time: 49.03s

Coach: Nico van Heerden

Highlights: Winning the South African under-23 titles in 2015 and 2016. Winning the title at the SA Student Championships in 2016 was also special. Another highlight was qualifying for the semi-final at the World Student Games in 2015. 

Reason for choosing your sport: I do athletics because I love running and I enjoy every moment of the success I reap. 

Motivation: I was only nine years old when I lost my mother. Not having my mom around was something difficult to deal with.  All my success I attribute to my mother.

Best quality as a hurdler: Hunger to succeed.

Education: Education is power. Education is a life guaranteed. 

Favourite quote: "Work your hardest. Dream your biggest. Be your greatest. "

Music: I love listening to old school and R&B music before competing. It helps me to relax and change my mental state so as not to focus too much on how to run the race. 

Trivia: I love singing in the shower. The four walls being the silent audience, as I live out my dreams as an aspirant singer. 

Movies: I am a big fan of Harry Potter movies, the Three Ninjas and the Empire television series. 

Favourite movie: Equalizer with Denzel Washington.

If you weren't an athlete? An actor playing roles like Errol Pieterse in 7de Laan. 

Motivation: I run in memory of my mom (she died when I was nine years old).