'It felt amazing to come home with two golds' – De Villiers Lamprecht on Region 5 Games

At just 17, middle-distance runner De Villiers Lamprecht is making a name for himself as one of South Africa's most promising middle distance prospects. With a powerful stride and natural racing instincts, Lamprecht has quickly become one to watch in the 1 500m. But for the Grey College learner, running is more than just a pursuit of personal milestones - it's part of a proud family legacy.

The grandson of the late De Villiers Lamprecht - the first South African to run a sub-4 mile (3:59.7 in 1964) - the youngster carries the Lamprecht torch with determination, discipline and a deep love for the sport. "My grandfather is my biggest inspiration. He is the main reason I started running. He not only taught me what to do on the track but also how to behave off it," he told #TheTopRunner.

De Villiers Lamprecht won a gold medal in the 1 500m at the AUSC region 5 games. Photo: Roger Sedres. 

With bests of 3:54.50 over the metric mile, achieved at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) U16, U18, U20 and U23 Track and Field Championships in March where he finished second in the U18 men’s final, and 1:54.33 in the 800m clocked at last year's NWU Top 30 meeting in Potchefstroom, Lamprecht is already demonstrating tremendous ability.

"Athletics always reminds me to stay consistent and work hard. But the most important thing in life is staying humble and respectful when things get tough or don’t go your way."

The rising middle-distance star delivered a standout performance at the recent African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games in Namibia, claiming gold medals in the 800m and 1 500m. Reflecting on his performances in Swakopmund, the lanky athlete said he was honoured to raise the South African flag aloft in his international debut.

Lamprecht also took part in the 4X400m relay. Photo Credit: Roger Sedres.

"I had a game plan to stick with the rest of the pack. But they started fast and I knew I had to hold back and keep my pace. We caught them with 500m left. I then made a key decision to go in front and lead. I didn’t know if it was too early. I really dug deep in the last 200m to eventually win. It's a huge honour to win the 1 500m and 800m for my country. It was my first international athletics championship. It felt amazing to come home with two gold medals and it's good to know that a lot of my idols started their professional careers at the region 5 games," he said.

The Athletics Free State (AFS) athlete thanked his mentor, middle and long-distance coach DB Prinsloo, family and the ‘Mylers’ training group in Bloemfontein for their unwavering support. "I will be running track again at the end of September. I'm looking forward to continuing to build-up what we have started and see if we can run some quick times."