Tag: Wayde van Niekerk

‹ Back

Sinesipho blazes into 200m final with sub-20 showing as teammates falter

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Sinesipho blazes into 200m final with sub-20 showing as teammates falter

Sinesipho Dambile was the shining light on an otherwise bleak day for Team SA at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Thursday. By Karien Jonckheere

After a tough journey overcoming injury and multiple disappointments, the 23-year-old produced a personal best performance when it mattered most, powering to third place in his 200m semifinal in 19.97 seconds to secure a place in his first World Championship final.

“I still have a hell of a lot more in the tank, so tomorrow it’s just going to be me enjoying the final and running as fast as I can again,” said a thrilled Sinesipho afterwards. 

Wayde van Niekerk finished fourth in his semifinal in 20.12 seconds, which wasn’t quite enough to see him through. But he celebrated Sinesipho’s achievement saying: “You know what, a South African made it through and we as a nation are still being represented in the final, and no better person than the youngsters coming through now.” 

Meanwhile, later in the evening, a medal proved out of reach for Zakithi Nene in the 400m. The KZN star came into these championships with the fastest time in the world this year, of 43.76 seconds, raising hope he could secure South Africa’s first World Championships medal since 2017. But it was not to be, with Nene finishing fifth in 44.55 seconds as Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi stormed to gold in another world-leading time of 43.53 seconds.

Suffering from dizziness after the race, Nene said: “I don’t know what happened there. I think tactically it just wasn’t my day today… I don’t have any words honestly. I’m really devastated.”

Another of the country’s medal hopefuls, Prudence Sekgodio, also struggled to come to terms with what unfolded in her 800m heat after pulling out halfway through with a leg injury.

The tearful 23-year-old explained afterwards: “I felt something in the warm-up area on my hamstring, I think I strained it. I think I stretched it too much. I did tell my coach that I felt something, but in my mind I thought it’s nothing serious. But in the call room my leg didn’t want to move, and I couldn’t do strides.

“The past three weeks, things were going really well. I trained so hard, and I was ready for this and now this is the end of my season. I wanted it to end on a good note, but God had his own plans.”

There was further disappointment for Charné du Plessis, who also pulled out of her 800m heat with injury.

Wayde & Sinesipho sail into 200m semis as Tshepo savours first world champs final

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Wayde & Sinesipho sail into 200m semis as Tshepo savours first world champs final

Both Wayde van Niekerk and Sinesipho Dambile booked their places in the 200m semifinals in Tokyo on Wednesday, while Tsepho Tshite finished ninth in his first-ever World Championship final. By Karien Jonckheere

The 1500m national record holder was delighted to be promoted to the final following Cole Hocker’s semifinal disqualification. And although Tshepo admitted he was unhappy with his early positioning, he relished the chance to line up again, going on to finish ninth in 3 minutes 35.50.

“This is a great booster because now I can believe that it’s possible for me to compete with these guys… The way I ran the heats and semis it shows that I’m on a level with them,” he said afterwards.

Earlier in the evening, Wayde had eased through his 200m heat, looking relaxed as he crossed the line in second place in 20.19 seconds. 

“It was comfortable. But I think there was a lot of rust that needed to come off today as well, so I think it was a strong start to the race and then just trying to see it through,” said the 400m world record holder who is only contesting the shorter sprint at these championships. 

“I think I’m really just trying to soak in the moment and just going off everything day by day and today was a positive one so regroup and get ready for tomorrow.”

After a nerve-racking start after narrowly avoiding disqualification for twitching in his blocks, Sinesipho booked his spot in the semifinals after finishing third in his heat in 20.27 seconds.

“I was calm because I knew it wasn’t a false start, I knew I didn’t move [my feet],” he explained.

“I think through the rounds I get better… I know I’m in great shape, so in the semifinal I’ve got to make sure that I unleash everything.”

Meanwhile, Zenéy van der Walt finished seventh in her 400m hurdles semifinal in a time she wasn’t pleased with after bumping into the athlete next to her twice during the race.

 “I’m not that happy [with the time], but I’m still blessed that I could represent South Africa in the semifinals at the world champs,” she said.

There was more disappointment for Team SA’s field athletes, with Douw Smit’s effort of 81.23m in javelin qualification not enough to see him through to the final.

How Team South Africa Performed On Monday

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on How Team South Africa Performed On Monday

Monday’s events were primarily at the Stade de France, where athletics took the spotlight for Team SA.

Team SA began the day with four medals: Tatjana Smith (one gold and one silver), the men’s sevens rugby team (bronze), and Alan Hatherly (bronze).

Prudence Sekgodiso finished eighth in the 800m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday night with a time of 1:58.79.

Wayde van Niekerk and Shaun Maswangani both secured third place in their respective 200m heats, advancing directly to the semi-finals. However, Benjamin Richardson suffered a leg injury during his heat, though he still recorded a time that keeps him in contention for the repechage, provided he is fit to compete.

Athletics:

Men’s discus throw qualification (Group A) 
Francois Prinsloo finished 13th in his qualification round. His distance was, however, outside the required overall top 12 distances to qualify for the Final.

Men’s discus throw qualification (Group B)
Victor Hogan also finished 13th in his qualification round. His distance, too, was outside the required overall top 12 distances to qualify for the Final.

Men’s 400m Repechage Round (Heat 2) 
Lythe Pillay finished first in his heat of the Repechage round, qualifying automatically for the Semi Final on Tuesday, 6 August.

Men’s 400m Repechage Round (Heat 3)
Zakithi Nene won his heat of the Repechage round to automatically qualify for the Semi Final on Tuesday, 6 August.

Women’s 400m Round 1
Miranda Coetzee finished 4th in her heat, which was outside the automatic qualification for the Semi Final. She still has an opportunity to qualify from the Repechage round on Tuesday, 6 August.

Men’s 200m Round 1 (Heat 1)
Wayde van Niekerk finished third in his heat, achieving automatic qualification for the Semi Final on Wednesday, 7 August.

Men’s 200m Round 1 (Heat 3)
Benjamin Richardson suffered an injury in the final stretch of the race and was not able to achieve the standard to qualify automatically for the Semi Final. He still has the opportunity to participate in the Repechage round to qualify for the Semi Final.

Men’s 200m Round 1 (Heat 5)
Shaun Maswanganyi finished third in his heat, achieving automatic qualification for the Semi Final on Wednesday, 7 August.

Women’s 8 00m Final
The main highlight from a South African perspective was Prudence Sekgodiso, who was seen as a potential medal contender for Team SA. Unfortunately, she finished eighth in the 800m final, crossing the line in 1:58.79 after visibly tiring in the last 50 meters. The gold was claimed by Keely Hodgkinson with a time of 1:56.72. Despite the result, Sekgodiso’s performance at her first Olympics demonstrated that she belongs at this level, showing promise for the 2028 Games.

During the race, Sekgodiso was forced wide early on and positioned herself in fourth alongside Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma. She stayed with the leaders, but was kept wide on the far turn, ultimately losing pace in the final straight. Reflecting on the race, she said, “The plan was to stick with the girls for as long as I could. I know I’m not good in the final 100m and when I saw the girls coming past me, I thought I must just keep my head up and keep going. I’m so happy I made the final, it means a lot to me.”

She also shared her struggles with recovery, mentioning that the demanding schedule of three races in three days was tough, requiring her to take sleeping pills to rest. These Olympics have taught her valuable lessons about racing and recovery, which will benefit her in future competitions.

Sport Climbing: 
Men’s boulder & lead, Semi Final Boulder
Mel Janse van Rensburg finished tied for 19th in the competition, unfortunately not making the required top 8 to qualify for the Semi Final.

Women’s Speed, Qualification Seeding Heats
Aniya Holder managed to achieve her Personal Best time of 9.12 seconds in the qualification heats. Her time in the elimination heats was, unfortunately, not good enough to secure passage to the next round.

From spectator to potential Olympian: Wayde’s sister Kayla is poised for Paris

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on From spectator to potential Olympian: Wayde’s sister Kayla is poised for Paris

By Karien Jonckheere

Kayla Swarts was just 13 years old when she sat trackside as her brother, Wayde van Niekerk, stormed to a new 400m world record on his way to Olympic gold in Rio.

Little could she imagine that eight years later she’d be on the brink of becoming an Olympian herself as part of the South African women’s hockey team.

The final squad for the Paris Games is yet to be announced but the 21-year-old is very much in the mix for selection.

“It would honestly be a dream come true, to represent my country and family at the biggest sporting event in history,” Swarts told Modern Athlete. “The fact that I’ll be sharing this moment with my brother would just make it so much more special.

“Thinking back to the moment of watching him in Rio set the 400m world record and seeing the joy on his and my parents’ faces and what that made me feel made me realise that this is a moment that I’d strive to experience one day,” she added.

Speaking more about that moment in Rio when Van Niekerk stunned his rivals from lane eight by taking the gold in 43.03 seconds, Swarts added: “When my brother broke the record I was in the stadium right across the finish line. The moment felt so surreal. I kept watching the clock because he just kept going faster and faster. I thought: is my brother really about to break the record? We were all so proud of him.”

While Van Niekerk will be back on the track at the Stade de France in Paris, looking to complete a triumphant comeback after a tough few years, Swarts will hopefully be making her mark at the Yves du Manoir hockey stadium some 10km away.

Preparations with the team are on track, with the South Africans feeling positive about the mammoth task ahead. “We’ve just spent six weeks training and playing a few practice matches in India and China. This period has been a massive step in the right direction for the team, not only physically but mentally as well.

“We spent a lot of time working with Kate Wright, a sport psychologist, to focus on individual and team strengths and culture which is something I think will be a huge asset for us at the Olympic Games.”

Van Niekerk has also shared a fair bit of advice with his younger sister.

“My brother always emphasises enjoying the sport, finding the joy and beauty in every opportunity I get to represent my country because your sporting career is limited.

“He also advises me to be present and not get stuck on what didn’t work out. The way we see it is that there is no failure in sport – some days it’s your turn to win, some days it’s someone else’s turn, that’s sport. Losing is simply just a building block towards success, it’s an opportunity to evaluate where you can be better and learn from that.

“He’s played an integral role in helping me prepare physically and mentally for the Olympics… Competing at the highest level can often get lonely and hard but knowing that I’ve got someone in my corner who’s overcoming similar obstacles and battles, who’s already been to two Olympic Games and shares advice is truly a blessing and not something many people are privileged to have.”

The SA side will come up against Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, Spain and the United States in the group stage of the Olympic hockey tournament in Paris which runs from 27 July to 9 August.

Akani, Wayde and Tatjana head Team SA as first batch of Olympic athletes announced

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Akani, Wayde and Tatjana head Team SA as first batch of Olympic athletes announced

By Karien Jonckheere

Akani Simbine, Tatjana Smith and Wayde van Niekerk were all among the 39 athletes who officially had their tickets to Paris confirmed for later this year when the first Olympic team announcement was made by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Teams were announced across seven sporting codes, with two more official announcements to come in the next two months.

The athletics team is far from complete with the qualification period still open and those athletes booking their tickets via world rankings yet to be finally determined.

Among those at the team announcement on Wednesday was young 400m star Lythe Pillay, who has just returned from helping the South Africa 4x400m quartet to a silver medal at the recent World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.

“It’s really exciting. It’s still a bit surreal,” he said of making the Olympic team. “I’m really process orientated. I’m always just fixated on training and doing what I have to do. I very seldom take time to sit back and really acknowledge what has just happened and what I’ve achieved… it’s given me more of a sense of motivation to progress and keep pushing.”

Also thrilled to have booked her trip to Paris was Cian Oldknow who is one of three women, along with Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl, to have qualified in the marathon.

“Until it’s official, it’s always a bit like – ooh, are we actually going? So I think now it’s starting to sink in that I really made the team,” she said. “I’m very excited… I can’t wait for what’s coming. I’m so excited to be on the start line with all my role models.”

Meanwhile, heading the swimming team is Tokyo gold and silver medallist Tatjana Smith who will be looking to defend her 200m breaststroke title in the French capital.

 “It’s definitely nice to know it’s official,” she said after the announcement. “This is my second time going but it doesn’t make it any less exciting than the first time so I’m very excited.

“I’m feeling very motivated because you know you’re so close to the end – as in Paris, the thing that you’ve been working towards for so long. That definitely keeps you encouraged because you know there’s only about nine weeks left so that helps a lot.”

Others in the swimming team include the likes of SA’s most successful Olympian Chad le Clos, world championship medallist Pieter Coetzé and Commonwealth Games medallists Erin Gallagher and Kaylene Corbett.

The other sporting codes to have their teams announced were canoeing, climbing, gymnastics, surfing and wrestling.

Meanwhile, SASCOC announced the cash incentives that are up for grabs to South Africans who win medals in Paris. R400,000 will be awarded to gold medallists with R100,000 going to their coaches, R200 000 for silver medallists (with R50k for coaches) and R75 000 for bronze medals (R25k for coaches).

SA Olympic team so far:

AQUATICS

Men: Pieter Coetzé (100m, 200m backstroke), Chad le Clos (100m butterfly), Matthew Sates (100m, 200m butterfly and 200m IM)

Women: Aimee Canny (200m freestyle), Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke), Erin Gallagher (100m butterfly), Rebecca Meder (200m IM), Tatjana Smith (100m, 200m breaststroke), Julia Vincent (diving, 3m springboard)

ATHLETICS

Men: Luxolo Adams (200m), Stephen Mokoka (marathon), Zakhiti Nene (400m), Lythe Pillay (400m), Benjamin Richardson (200m), Akani Simbine (100m), Tshepo Tshite (1500m), Wayde van Niekerk (400m), Jovan van Vuuren (long jump), Adriaan Wildschutt (5000m, 10000m).

Women: Marione Fourie (100mH), Zeney Geldenhuys (400mH), Rogail Joseph (400mH), Cian Oldknow (marathon), Prudence Sekgodiso (800m), Gerda Steyn (marathon), Irvette van Zyl (marathon)

CANOEING

Men: Andrew Birkett (kayak sprint), Hamish Lovemore (kayak sprint)

Women: Tiffany Koch (kayak sprint), Esti Olivier (kayak sprint)

Management: Nkosi Mzolo (coach), Janet Simpkins (manager)

GYMNASTICS

Women: Caitlin Rooskrantz (artistic)

Management: Ilse Pelser (coach)

SPORT CLIMBING

Men: Joshua Bruyns (speed climbing), Mel Janse van Rensburg (lead & boulder)

Women: Aniya Holder (speed climbing), Lauren Mukheiber (lead & boulder)

Management: Dean Bruyns (manager), John-David Muller (official coach)

SURFING

Men: Matthew McGillivray, Jordy Smith

Women: Sarah Ann Baum

Management: Christopher Bond (coach), Rezar De Nicker (coach, manager)

WRESTLING

Men: Steyn de Lange (92kg), Marias Hattingh (training partner, 79kg)

Management: Jan Roets (coach)

 

Young gun Benjamin outshines Wayde van Niekerk on sizzling day at SA champs

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Young gun Benjamin outshines Wayde van Niekerk on sizzling day at SA champs

Benjamin Richardson produced the largest upset of the SA Athletics Championships so far by outgunning Wayde van Niekerk to win the 200m title in a steamy Pietermaritzburg on Saturday. By Karien Jonckheere, Picture Cecilia van Bers

Van Niekerk chose to focus his efforts on the 200m event in Maritzburg rather than the 400m, in which he won Olympic gold in 2016 in world record time. But Richardson produced a speedy 20.16-second performance to outshine the veteran and take the title while also securing an Olympic qualifying mark. Van Niekerk settled for silver in 20.31.

“I could have [gone faster] but I’m more happy about the moment and the fact that I did my qualifier,” said a thrilled Richardson. “I was happy in the moment with what I did because it took so much effort and I’m just happy right now.”

As for beating Van Niekerk, the 20-year-old said he remembered the exact date he raced against him for the first time back in 2021.

“It shows that through time, things can change and three years later, I’m now first and so now I’m happy and I’m grateful for everything that’s happened – the trials and tribulations.”

Meanwhile, Lythe Pillay surprised even himself on his way to the 400m title in a new personal best time of 44.31 seconds, with Zakithi Nene also achieving his second Olympic qualifying time in the event, taking silver in 44.80.

“We’re still on cloud nine, or rather on cloud 44 right now, but I’m grateful and blessed,” said an amazed Pillay afterwards.

“Being in a very competitive lineup like that, even with Wayde [van Niekerk] not being present, I knew it was going to be a tough race. I was just here to execute and do what I had to do today.

“The plan was just to go, so from the gun have a good reaction, stay controlled, not spilling energy unnecessarily, sticking to my normal tactics, sticking to my normal strength… and everything clicked today,” added the 21-year-old who will be hoping everything also clicks tomorrow when he is writing an accounting exam.

It was a busy day for Shirley Nekhubui who doubled up in the 200 and 400m, successfully securing both titles on the same day.

Nekhubui claimed the 200m victory in 23.28 and followed that up by edging out defending champion Miranda Coetzee for the 400m title as well, winning in a time of 51.77 seconds.

Nekhubui said afterwards she is till hoping to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in the 400m and will be aiming to do that in Europe in the coming weeks.

Glenrose Xaba completed a double of her own. She overcame the steamy KZN conditions to add the 10,000m title to the 5000m gold she won on Thursday.

In a race that saw several athletes either collapsing or dropping out, Xaba held on to win in a time of 32:56.29 for her seventh national 10,000m title.

Adriaan Wildschutt took the men’s 5000m title in a time of 13:30.38 to make it a double for the family with his brother Nadeel having claimed the 10,000m title on Thursday.

The SA Athletics Championships conclude tomorrow.

Akani takes sixth SA 100m title as women’s 400m hurdles produces two Olympic qualifiers

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Akani takes sixth SA 100m title as women’s 400m hurdles produces two Olympic qualifiers

The women’s 400m hurdles provided one of the highlights of day two of the SA Athletics Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Friday.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Zeney Geldenhuys was pushed all the way to the final hurdle by Rogail Joseph, just pulling away in the final metres to take her fourth national title in a time of 54.72 seconds with Joseph second in 54.84. Both times were below the automatic qualification mark for the Olympic Games later this year in Paris.

Claiming the bronze medal was 16-year-old star Tumi Ramokgopa who set a new South African youth record with a time of 57.04.

Geldenhuys said afterwards she was pleased to be pushed by her young rivals.

“You can’t always just go into a race and think I’m going to run and win by 100 metres so it is very exciting to know that there are girls pushing me because without them it’s difficult to run great times,” she said.

“I’m ecstatic [about the time] and I’m truly blessed to know I could run the Olympic qualifying time… but from here it’s much harder work to get the times done because if I want to run a final [at the Olympics] it need to be a 53.”

Joseph reckoned: “It was a really tough race and I’m really proud of myself because it’s the first time I was so close to the winner at SA Seniors, so I can see I’m on the right road and I’m so excited to see what more is in store for me.”

Meanwhile, Lindukuhle Gora was thrilled to get his hands on a first senior national title, winning the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.45 seconds.

Also claiming her first senior title was teenage sprinter Viwe Jingqi. The 19-year-old blitzed to the women’s 100m title in a time of 11.23, just one hundredth of a second off her PB.

“Fantastic! I thought it went great. I don’t know how to explain it but as you can see, the smile and how I’m talking… everything went well,” said a thrilled Jingqi afterwards.

While it was a first for Jingqi, it was title number six for Akani Simbine in the men’s 100m. The SA record holder powered to victory in a time of 10.01 seconds, holding off teenagers Bayanda Walaza (10.27) and Bradley Nkoana (10.29) for the gold.

“I’m just also happy to retain my title,” said Simbine, who admitted he was targeting a sub-10 second time but was unsure of the cool, slightly breezy conditions.

“For us it was trying to finish off on a sub-10 but I’m happy with a 10.01 – I can’t complain about that, I can’t complain about finishing the race healthy and now that sets me up for my next race in China next week,” he said.

Earlier in the day, 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk ran the opening race of his campaign of the SA Championships, finishing first in his 200m heat in a time of 20.57 seconds.

“It was comfortable. It felt a little bit rusty in some areas of the race, but I think once you get your legs exposed to that, those things start freeing up and the fact that I ran quite a solid time, feeling the way I did, hopefully the next two will be better,” he said afterwards.

“I think [nerves are] always there. Nerves are something that’s part of the game I guess. My wife told me – if I feel this way, how do the rest fo the guys feel? So I’m trying to use that mentally in my head. But we all have a bit of nerves, a bit of restlessness because we want to do well and be competitive so it’s very much part of the game. It’s really just about managing it and putting your best foot forward.

In other events on Friday, Cheswill Johnson claimed the men’s long jump title with a leap of 8.22m, while Brian Raats cleared 2.25m to take gold in the men’s high jump on countback.

 

Back to the drawing board for dejected Van Niekerk

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Back to the drawing board for dejected Van Niekerk

Wayde van Niekerk showed much promise in the build-up to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest but couldn’t replicate that speed he produced in the last few months when he took to the track for the 400m final on Thursday.

All our World Championship coverage is proudly fuelled by PUMA South Africa.

After just scraping into the final, the world record holder finished in last place in a disappointing 45.11 seconds as Jamaica’s Antonio Watson stormed to gold.

“I ran bad, I ran terrible, we all saw that. The run was well off, I mean I’m a 44 [second] athlete from the get-go of the season so I was wrong, I did not execute my race right. Things didn’t go my way and I’m still processing it all but it was definitely bad,” he said afterward.

Meanwhile, all three of South Africa’s 200m semifinalists missed out on places in Friday night’s final. After an unsettling delay because of a bizarre collision of the golf carts transporting the athletes to the track, Sinesipho Dambile finished fourth in his race in 20.28, Shaun Maswanganyi was seventh in his race in 20.65 and Luxolo Adams was sixth in 20.44.

Despite running a personal best time, Dambile was disappointed with his performance. “I expected much better but I couldn’t get it together. I hope the next race I’m better, but I don’t know, I’m a bit disappointed,” he said afterward.

Adams explained that he had felt dizzy after the golf cart incident and had been rattled by the delay in his race which was switched from first to last of the semifinals. “But I have no room for excuses to come here and tell you guys that, no this happened or whatever. Regardless of what happens, I have to go out there and fight.”

In the morning, the ever-green Wayne Snyman finished 21st in the 35km race walk in a time of 2:35:13.

Having returned from retirement, the 38-year-old said he had only 12 weeks of training for the event.

“Unfortunately, I think I lacked a little bit of training. I would have liked four to six weeks more but it was good. I didn’t stop to pour water on myself this time so that’s good. I’m happy with the race.

“I’m going to have to really sit back and decide why I want to do another Olympics. I have it in my legs, I showed it here – 12 weeks of training and [almost] top-20 – I think that’s really good. Ask me again in a little while. Maybe after I retire I’ll come back again.”

Watch All Our Athlete Interviews!

Our team on the ground at Budapest have been interviewing all South African athletes after their respective events. To get an inside view into strategy and their thoughts on their performances, click the button below to see for yourself what it takes to compete on a world stage!



Watch Athlete Interviews


Watch Day Six Highlights!​