'It took a lot of work to be where I am' - Hannah Hope Vermaak downs Jingqi, Mboma & seniors in Botswana ahead of SA Champs

After defeating SA U18 record holder Viwe Jingqi and the Namibian pair of Olympic 200m silver medalist Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, Hannah Hope Vermaak has announced herself as a coming force in women's 100m sprinting on the African continent. The 17-year-old clocked a lifetime best 11.44 to win the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix 100m title on 12 April in a tight race against Jingqi where the pair were given the same time but Vermaak got the nod on a photo finish.

In the wake of that result, the reigning SA U20 100m and 200m champion will start as one of the favourites for the gold medal at the Athletics South Africa Senior Track & Field Championships in Potchefstroom next week. Reflecting on the 11.89 she ran to take eighth position in last year's 100m final at the national championships, Vermaak says she just loves facing more experienced competitors.

Vermaak is enjoying a fruitful 2025. She has set personal bests over 100m (11.44) and 200m (23.45). Photo Credit: Höerskool Noordheuwel.

"I love racing against the seniors. You learn so much when you race against them. I ran against them last year and reached the final, even though I went in without any expectations. They push you to produce your best."

But the one key difference between 2024 and 2025, is that this is Vermaak's matric year. As a result the youngster who is coached by Johan Furstenburg is having to balance a jammed-packed schedule of training and a notoriously busy Grade 12 social calendar, all while preparing for her final exams.

"I came into this year with a plan. I just needed to keep studying because my academics are on par with where they should be. So it's all about making time for my athletics. My teachers have also been very helpful with my academics," explained the Höerskool Noordheuwel learner.

Vermaak (race number 184 lane 1) winning a close 100m race in Botswana. Photo Credit: FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix.

She does have a solution though. And if her 100 results from the first quarter of this season are anything to go by, then the Central Gauteng Athletics 100m champion's simple approach is paying dividends. This year alone, Vermaak has improved on her personal best there times, lowering it from 11.72 at the beginning of the year to 11.44 in mid April which is enough to virtually guarantee her a spot in the team that will represent the country at the CAA African Athletics U18 & U20 Championships in Algeria in July.

"I train hard. I've just kept on doing what works for me. I do plyometrics and those types of exercises to make sure that I stay where I am because it took a lot of hard work to be where I am now. I just work hard. I really want to run at the African Championships."