Steenkamp sets his sights on African gold

Travel difficulties tainted South Africa's preparations for the African Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria, from Wednesday.

Problems with the local organizing committee (LOC) organizing accreditation, police escorted travel and accommodation have made hell a trip for athletes south -africains.

Some were still stranded in Lagos after leaving South Africa on Saturday, waiting to be transferred to Asaba.

Some contenders for the country's medals will be in a race against the clock to acclimate before lining up on Wednesday.

Rikenette Steenkamp is among the stars of the championships. She has climbed the world rankings of the 100m hurdles this season.

Steenkamp is fresh out of one of the biggest victories of his career after beating a solid field at the first World Cup athletics event in London recently.

She dipped below 13 seconds over the short sprint hurdles, breaking the national record twice this year.

Injured at age 25, she was denied the opportunity to defend her continental title at the previous edition held in Durban in 2016.

Her biggest challenge will come from the favorite local champion of the Commonwealth Games, Oluwatobiloba Amusan. the best of a season of 12.68 and a PB of 12.57.

Steenkamp stated that even though Amusan represented a serious threat, she believed that she had a realistic chance of winning her second African title.

"If you look at the London race, I should not have won it on paper.

" It's both the good and the bad thing of the obstacles where the competitor can cut a hedge. "

Steenkamp now believes that she regularly drops below 13 seconds, it's only a matter of time before she displays times below 12.7.

This would make it even closer to where the best hedges in the world are.

"I think I have it in me, and it will meet at the right time, I just want to keep momentum and run 12.8s regularly," Steenkamp said.

"I have already set my sights 12.7 seconds and faster."