Wayde van Niekerk, seen here at the national championships last month, will spearhead the SA 4x400m team in the final at the World Relays. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
While the nation’s other two teams were unable to reach the finals of their events, the SA men’s 4x400m quartet showed their class on the opening day of the World Athletics Relays in Bahamas in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The four-lap squad – Wayde van Niekerk, Zakithi Nene, Lythe Pillay and Gardeo Isaacs – were second fastest overall in the first-round heats in 2:59.76.
They were just 0.03 behind a strong Botswana team – Letsile Tebogo, Leungo Scotch, Isaac Makwala and Bayapo Ndori – who won the same heat in 2:59.73.
Though the Botswana quartet are still the favourites on paper, South Africa have the quality and depth to put up a fight for gold in the final, as they target the nation’s first medal at a global athletics championship since 2019.
By booking their place in the final (to be held at 4.20am on Monday) they also secured their spot at the Olympic Games in Paris in August.
Meanwhile, the SA men’s 4x100m relay team did not live up to their potential, settling for third place in their heat in 38.83.
The quartet – Clarence Munyai, Bayanda Walaza, Akani Simbine and Benjamin Richardson – missed out on a spot in the final.
The mixed 4x400m team – Zeney Geldenhuys, Mthi Mthimkulu, Shirley Nekhubui and Antonie Nortje – were also unable to progress, finishing third in their heat in 3:15.95.
Both the men’s 4x100m and mixed 4x400m squads were set to turn out again in Olympic qualifying heats on Monday morning, with automatic places still up for grabs for the Paris Games.
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