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Zakithi coasts into 400m final to keep SA world champs medal hopes alive 

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Zakithi coasts into 400m final to keep SA world champs medal hopes alive 

Zakithi Nene kept his medal quest very much on track by coasting through to the 400m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Tuesday. By Karien Jonckheere

The KZN star looked to be in complete control as he claimed victory in his semifinal in a time of 44.20 seconds. 

In an ominous warning to his rivals, the 27-year-old reckoned afterwards: “I felt good, I think this is the best my body has felt all season. I managed that race pretty well, very comfortable, did what I needed to do, and that’s what I’m happy about. 

“My coach believes it’s very difficult to beat a confident athlete and that’s what I am right now. My confidence is at an all-time high.”

As for what the plan is between now and the final on Thursday evening (3.10pm SA time), he added: “It’s all about recovery, getting myself prepped for that final. I’ve just been saving myself and saving myself as much as I can, and we survive and advance.”

Zakithi headed to Tokyo with the fastest 400m time in the world this year – the 43.76 seconds he ran in Nairobi in May. But that mantle was taken off him in the second semifinal in Tokyo as Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi claimed victory in a sizzling 43.61 seconds.

The third semifinal was won by another athlete from Botswana, Bayapo Ndori, in 44.21 seconds, with his compatriot Lee Bhekempilo Eppie also making it to the final, meaning half the field hails from Southern Africa.

Meanwhile, Lythe Pillay was the only other South African in action at the world champs on Tuesday. He finished sixth in his semifinal in 44.82 seconds, so missing out on Thursday’s final. Even before the race, he had set his sights on the part he needs to play in the 4x400m relay. 

“My coach and physio were a bit angry at me for saying it, but for me, I was looking at the semi as a nice prep run for the relay,” he admitted afterwards.

“I went out, I gave it guts and glory. It didn’t pay out this time for the final, but at least I know I’m consistent, the body’s there, things are clicking, so come the relay, I’m really far more confident that I can contribute towards my team.” 

Nene ready to ‘swim with the big sharks’ in world champs medal bid

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Nene ready to ‘swim with the big sharks’ in world champs medal bid

Zakithi Nene arrived in Tokyo as one of the standout 400m contenders, having lowered his personal best multiple times this season, including a world-leading 43.76 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi. By Karien Jonckheere

Reflecting on his season, Nene reckoned: “I’m very much happy with how the season played out. I’ve been very consistent in running low 44s and breaking the 44 barrier as well, with the new PB of 43.7. So I’m very much chuffed with how things transpired, and the momentum that I’ve built throughout, and I’m just looking to draw strength from that.”

The KZN star certainly looked to be building on those performances as he cruised through his opening heat in the 400m in Tokyo on Sunday, looking supremely comfortable as he coasted to victory in 44.34 seconds to book a spot in the semifinals.

Nene’s journey to the Japanese capital hasn’t been without challenges, however. A grade 2 hamstring tear during warm-up before a meet in Budapest posed a serious setback. But, while the leg remains strapped, the two-time Olympian reckoned: “I felt good. That tear that I picked up in Budapest got me a little worried, given that it was five weeks before the championship, but I was able to recover well. 

“I wasn’t going to jump on that flight from South Africa to Japan if I wasn’t confident that I could be competitive, and I showed that right now.” 

While confidence is high, the 27-year-old was still feeling the pressure coming into these championships as the world leader. So he turned to veteran Akani Simbine to ask for advice. “I was just asking how you deal with having a target on your back, going from being the hunter to being the hunted. And one thing he said that stuck with me is you’ve got to own it. And that’s what I’m doing right now.

“Pressure is self-inflicted. It’s all about how you choose to navigate around it. It’s either you sink or you swim, and I’m ready to swim with the big sharks.”

Looking ahead, Nene’s ambitions are clear: “What am I hoping for in Tokyo? I’m hoping to put my best foot forward. I’m hoping to make the final and challenge for the podium and challenge for that gold medal.” 

Looking at his form so far, Nene is certainly in the mix to do just that, starting with tomorrow’s semifinals, happening at 14h45 (SA Time) followed by the final on Thursday.

SA sprint duo make 100m history, but medals prove elusive in Tokyo final

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on SA sprint duo make 100m history, but medals prove elusive in Tokyo final

Akani Simbine and Gift Leotlela ensured South Africa had two representatives in the 100m final for the first time in World Athletics Championships history in Tokyo on Sunday. But a medal was not to be for the duo, with Leotlela finishing fifth in 9.95 seconds and Simbine seventh in 10.04. By Karien Jonckheere

After a false start from Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who was then disqualified, it was Jamaica’s Oblique Seville who outgunned the pack to take gold in a speedy 9.77 seconds, with his compatriot Kishane Thompson second in 9.82 and defending world champion and Olympic gold medallist Noah Lyles settling for bronze in 9.89 seconds.

Speaking afterwards, Simbine explained he had suffered cramp at the beginning of the race – something he wasn’t able to overcome to perform at his best.

“I cramped up a bit at the start and just couldn’t recover from that,” he said. “We’re just going to reassess how the body is and hopefully I’m good to go for the [4x100m] relay.”

Unlike Simbine, who has now featured in seven major championship finals, Leotlela was competing in his first after an impressive two days, which included running a blistering 9.87 seconds in the heats.

“It was amazing, I don’t want to lie, starting from last night, and I got a lot of confidence from the heats… I ran three sub-10s in two days, so I’ll take that as a big win.”

Adriaan Wildschutt finished in 10th spot in the 10,000m final earlier in the evening after losing touch with the leaders with just under a lap to go. He finished in 28 minutes 59.47 seconds, with the gold going to Frenchman Jimmy Gressier in 28:55.77 seconds.

“I just had to stay connected and conserve as much energy as possible and see how hard I could close. I didn’t quite have it towards the end, but I was there with 300m to go and I’m pretty proud of that,” said Wildschutt.

Earlier in the evening, both Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay eased through their respective heats to book places in the 400m semifinals. Current world leader Nene won his heat in 44.34 seconds with Pillay second in his heat in 44.73.

“Not a lot of athletes can say they’ve gone into world championships as world leader and that’s an achievement on its own that one should be proud of. So I’m wearing my bib with pride, I’ve got a target on my back, but I’m ready to defend it,” he said of the special blue numbers reserved for those who have run the fastest times of the year in each event. 

The other South Africans to impress on Sunday were Marioné Fourie, who finished second in her 100m hurdles heat in 12.86 seconds to book a spot in Monday’s semifinals, while Tshepo Tshite finished sixth in his 1500m heat in 3:36.36 to also progress to the next round.

What a World Champs! (Just not for South Africa…)

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on What a World Champs! (Just not for South Africa…)

The 2023 World Athletics Championships took place in Budapest, Hungary in the last week of August, and what an incredible meet it turned out to be! We saw nine days of World Records, Championship Records, Area Records, National Records, season bests and personal bests, watched enthralling competitions and incredible moments of sporting camaraderie, and basked in what was one of the best World Champs meets of all time. (OK, it wasn’t so good from a South African perspective, but that aside, it was a great meet.) Modern Athlete had two reporters at the event, courtesy of PUMA South Africa, doing daily coverage and interviews, and now it’s time for a look back at some of the highlights of wonderful week of athletics action. – By Sean Falconer & World Athletics 

Relay team keep Simbine’s world champs medal hopes alive

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Relay team keep Simbine’s world champs medal hopes alive

South Africa’s 4x100m relay team ensured Akani Simbine will have another shot at a medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest after being disqualified from his 100m semifinal. The quartet of Shaun Maswanganyi, Benjamin Richardson, Clarence Munyai, and Simbine produced a slick performance to finish second in their heat in 37.72 and book a place in Saturday night’s final.

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

 

Speaking afterwards, Simbine said: “It was good. It feels good to run, it feels good to race, it feels good to be able to be on the track again… I’m happy, happy for the guys, happy for the team, and excited for tomorrow.”

This was Munyai’s first performance at these World Championships, having skipped the individual events. The SA 200m record holder said afterwards: “I was quite excited to be honest because they’ve been running and I also wanted to get out there and come compete. For me it was more excitement than nerves so I’m quite happy.

“We did quite well as a team, we executed and we all ran our legs quite well. We came out here and we wanted to qualify for the final and put a solid time out there… It was good [baton] changes throughout and as a team we trusted each other and I think we did a good job.”

There was disappointment for Prudence Sekgodiso later in the evening in the 800m semifinals. The 21-year-old looked to be in the perfect position to make a move, but around the 450m mark, she clipped the heels of the runner in front of her and fell to the track and out of contention. She nevertheless managed to pick herself up and finish the race.

In the women’s javelin final, Jo-Ané fell short of her own expectation, her best on the night was a third-round throw of 57.43m to finish in 10th place.

“For me, it was just amazing to be in the final. It was great, it was really what I planned to come and do here but I’m a little disappointed with how I performed. I think there’s a lot more that I could have done but on the day I didn’t do what I could. I had a little problem with my rhythm in the first and second throws so it just wasn’t my day today but it was a great competition and always good to get the experience of being on the world stage.”

Earlier in the day, fellow javelin thrower Douw Smit’s best effort was 75.03m in qualification was not enough to see him through to the final.

 

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 Seven's Highlights

Agony for Simbine while Van Niekerk secures semifinal spot

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Agony for Simbine while Van Niekerk secures semifinal spot

There was more major championship heartbreak for Akani Simbine after he was disqualified from the 100m semifinals at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday for a false start.

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

“I’m disappointed. I’ve never false started on the circuit, never false started at a championship, so I’m just very disappointed,” said a devastated Simbine. “I just know that I moved when the gun said go, because I’m generally a slow starter. But it is what it is.”

In Simbine’s absence in the evening final, it was Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo who brought glory to Southern Africa. The 20-year-old star stormed to a silver medal in a national record time of 9.88 behind American Noah Lyles who took gold in 9.83.

Earlier in the day Wayde van Niekerk cruised to victory in his opening 400m heat in a time of 44.57 to qualify for the semifinals. Zakithi Nene made a blunder at the end of his race to allow two athletes in front of him at the finish to deny him automatic qualification. His time of 44.88 was enough to see him safely through to the semifinals as one of the fastest losers, however.

Speaking after the race, Van Niekerk said: “The heats and the semifinals are about surviving so I had to read my competitors and gauge off of them. That’s what I did in the heats and I think it should be a similar strategy in the semis and then in the final we’ll give it what we’ve got left.”

Nene reckoned he would learn from his mistakes, saying: “I judged the race well to about 300 or 320m, and I thought the race was over then before it was even over. So that’s on me, poor judgement of the race but I’ll fix it in the semi.”

Also through to the women’s 400m semifinals was Zeney van der Walt, who is doubling up at these championships – also competing in the 400m hurdles. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist finished third in her 400m heat in 51.76 to book a spot in Monday’s semifinals. She’ll also be contesting the 400m hurdles heats on Monday, with just over two hours to recover between the two races.

“It feels really great, it feels amazing to advance to the semifinals and I’m very excited,” said Van der Walt. “My coach and I decided to do both events this year to take the challenge and to see how my body can manage it and to use it as a stepping stone here.”

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 Two's Highlights