Missing key athletes, Team SA might struggle on the track

At the last edition of the Commonwealth Games, held on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018, the athletics team led the charge for the SA squad, raking in 14 medals.

In Birmingham this week, however, they will struggle to make such a significant contribution.

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Since 2018, South Africa has lost long jumper Luvo Manyonga to drugs and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen to retirement, while Caster Semenya is restricted to an event which is so far beyond her range she can’t be competitive, and comeback sprinter Wayde van Niekerk made his return to the track just too late to qualify for the multi-sport showpiece.

In the absence of these stars, along with the likes of Ruswahl Samaai (who hasn’t been able to hit his straps this year and was omitted from the team) and in-form sprinter Luxolo Adams, who withdrew from the squad citing fatigue, the athletics contingent is up against a wall.

And the withdrawal on Tuesday of sprinters Clarence Munyai and Emile Erasmus all but ended the squad’s chances in the men’s 4x100m relay, if they even take part.

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That’s not to say they will be useless, however, and some world-class athletes will be doing what they can to give the national squad a boost up the medals table.

Experienced sprinter Akani Simbine will again spearhead the charge, as he lines up in defence of his 100m title.

Simbine narrowly missed out on a medal at the third successive edition of the World Championships in Eugene last month, and he will be eager to retain his Commonwealth crown.

Other contenders

Other athletes to watch in the track and field competition include shot put ace Kyle Blignaut, rising 400m hurdles star Zeney van der Walt, exciting middle-distance prospect Ryan Mphahlele, and para athletes Jonathan Ntutu and Charl du Toit, but they will all have to be at their best to put up a fight.

So another bag of 14 medals is highly unlikely, and a lack of quality and depth might be exposed at this level, particularly with some key athletes missing from the national squad.

But the athletics team can be expected to make a contribution, as always, and the younger members of the SA squad will be hoping to add some value by springing a few surprises.