Namibian junior cyclists achieve significant success at Africa Mountain Bike Championships

The Thiel siblings, Marco and Rosemarie, were prominent, each earning two gold medals, contributing to Namibia's total of eight gold medals. In the junior boys' short track race, Namibia claimed the top four positions, with Marco Thiel winning gold, Christiaan van der Westhuizen silver, and Sean Lowe bronze. Rosemarie Thiel dominated the junior women's short track race, finishing significantly ahead of her competitors.

The cross country MTB race saw a repeat performance in the junior men's category, with Marco Thiel again taking gold, Lowe silver, and Van der Westhuizen bronze. Rosemarie Thiel also secured her second gold medal in the junior women's cross country race. South Africa did not participate in the junior categories but excelled in the men's elite category, with Luke Moir winning gold.

Stacey Hislop of Zimbabwe won the women's elite race. Namibian team coach Hans du Toit praised the team's performance under challenging conditions, highlighting the Thiel siblings' achievements and the team's overall cohesion. He also mentioned that Namibia's junior cyclists are set to compete in the South African XCO Cup series, with potential qualification for the world championships in Italy later this year.