Retshidisitswe Mlenga (born 27 February 2000) is a South African

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

sprinter who competes in the

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

and

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

. He holds a personal best of 10.37 seconds for the 100 m and 20.88 seconds for the 200 m. He was the gold medallist in the 200 m at the

IAAF World U18 Championships The IAAF U18 Championships in Athletics (until 2015 known as IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics) was a global athletics event comprising track and field events for competitors who were 17 or younger (youth = Under-18). The event was orga ...

in 2017. Mlenga won the South African high school titles in the 100 and 200 m in 2016, then was runner-up in those events at the South African junior championships, setting new bests of 10.45 and 20.96 seconds, respectively. The following year he returned and won both titles at the South African junior meet, earning himself a place on the international team for the 2017 World U18 Championships in Athletics. He was among the favourites to win the 100 m event but was beaten by compatriot Tshenolo Lemao by 0.04 seconds. The pair again took the top two spots on the podium in the 200 m, with Mlenga winning to become the last world youth champion in the event (the championships was in its final iteration). His third and final medal of the tournament came in the mixed

4 × 400 metres relay The 4 × 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams consist of four runners who each complete 400 metres or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, th ...

where, alongside teammate Gontse Morake and 400 m hurdles champions Zeney van der Walt and

Sokwakhana Zazini Sokwakhana Zazini (born 23 January 2000) is a South African athlete specialising in the 400 metres hurdles. He won gold medals at the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2018 World U20 Championships. In 2019, he won a silver medal at the Unive ...

, he finished third in the rankings. Mlenga's performances helped South Africa to the top of the medal table, which was the nation's best ever performance at a global athletics championships. Mlenga won the 2018 African Southern Region junior title in the 100 m, but was subsequently disqualified, having failed a drug test for the anabolic steroid

Stanozolol Stanozolol (Abbreviation, abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceuti ...

at a meeting earlier in March that year. Mlenga received a four-year ban from the sport for the infraction.Ruling Mlenga
Drug Free Sport. Retrieved 2020-11-03.

International competitions

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mlenga, Retshidisitswe 2000 births Living people South African male sprinters Doping cases in athletics South African sportspeople in doping cases World Youth Championships in Athletics winners 21st-century South African people

International competitions

See also

References

External links