Benji Richardson in action at the World Athletics Continental Tour meeting in Gaborone earlier this year. Picture: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
Carrying the typical bravado which might be expected from a world-class sprinter, teenager Benjamin ‘Benji’ Richardson is full of confidence heading into the World Athletics Championships starting in Budapest this weekend.
The 19-year-old sprinter is the youngest member of the 36-strong South African team for the biennial global spectacle, and while he faces the fastest men in the world in the 100m event, he believes he is ready to shake things up at senior level.
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“There’s always pressure, but I like pressure because that’s when you actually perform your best,” Richardson said before the SA team left for the Hungarian capital earlier this week.
“So hopefully with this responsibility I’ve been given I can show them that I’m young but I’m as good as any of them, and maybe even better.”
Tall and powerful, Richardson has already showcased his talent at international level in the U-20 age group.
He is a three-time medallist at the World Junior Championships and he formed part of the SA team that broke the world U-20 4x100m relay record in 2021.
Richardson also formed part of the national senior relay squad which earned silver at last year’s African Championships in Mauritius.
And it is in the relay where he has a real chance to shine in Budapest. Holding a season’s best of 10.10 seconds (just 0.02 outside his personal best) Richardson is ranked 91st in the world this year in the 100m sprint and he could be out of his depth.
In the 4x100m relay, however, he will be joined by sub-10 runners Akani Simbine and Shaun Maswanganyi, along with former World Championships 200m finalist Luxolo Adams, national 200m record holder Clarence Munyai, 21-year-old prospect Sinesipho Dambile and experienced speedster Rivaldo Roberts.
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“A medal would be good, and I’ll never say never, but it’s less likely to happen in the 100m,” Richardson admitted ahead of the showpiece.
“I’m there to perform at my best and hopefully make the 100m final, and we are packed with talent in the 4x100m team, so we should be able to come back with a relay medal.”
