Gold medallists Bayanda Walaza, from right, Sinesipho Dambile, Akani Simbine and Bradley Nkoana won the men’s 4x100m relay during the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China. The mixed 4X100m team will hope to join them in their title defence in Botswana.
Image: AFP
South Africa’s late push to expand their relay presence at the upcoming World Athletics Relays delivered contrasting outcomes in Gaborone at the weekend, as one team edged closer to qualification while another fell agonisingly short.
With the April 5 qualification deadline looming, Athletics South Africa sent a squad of eight athletes to contest the Lefika International Relays in Botswana’s capital, targeting qualification in the mixed and women’s 4x100m events.
The mixed 4x100m quartet of Jovial Mbisha, Tamzin Gelant, Retshidisitswe Mlenga and Tsebo Matsoso produced the more encouraging result. They finished third in their race in 42.57 seconds, behind Nigeria and Kenya, but crucially posted a time fast enough to put them on the brink of qualification.
Currently ranked 22nd in the world standings, the team sits inside the top 24 required to qualify for the World Relays, which will also be held in Gaborone on May 2 and 3. Their fate, however, remains out of their hands, with the final confirmation dependent on whether other nations post quicker times before the qualifying window closes.
In contrast, the South African women’s 4x100m team delivered a bittersweet performance. The quartet of Leonette Vosloo, Chardone Smidt, Mbisha and Gelant won their race in 44.64, but the time proved insufficient in the global context. Ranked 49th overall, they missed out on one of the 24 available places despite standing on the top step of the podium in Botswana.
The mixed results underline both the progress made and the work still required as South Africa looks to build depth across all relay disciplines.
“This shows we are making progress,” said Athletics South Africa high performance manager Hezekiel Sepeng. “Since the last edition of the World Relays it looks like we will increase our national squad by one team in Gaborone. Our long-term goal, building towards the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, is to have teams representing us in all relay events.”
South Africa enjoyed a stellar campaign at the previous World Relays, topping the medals table with two gold medals and a bronze, while also reaching the final in the mixed 4x400m. Notably, however, the country had no representation in either the women’s or mixed 4x100m events. That could now change – if the mixed quartet’s time holds up in the final days of qualification.