South African sprinters ended their World Athletics Championships campaign on a high, securing bronze in the men’s 4x400m relay in Tokyo on Sunday.
Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Wayde van Niekerk and Zakithi Nene completed the race in 2:57.83, sharing the same official time as the US, who took silver. The quartet were edged into third by just 0.002 seconds, with Botswana holding on for gold in 2:57.76 in a thrilling blanket finish.
“It’s still sinking in. I’m chuffed and we couldn’t have done it without this team,” said Pillay, a former world junior champion, in a statement released by Athletics South Africa.
He praised the contributions of heat runners Leendert Koekemoer, Gardeo Isaacs, and reserve Mthi Mthimkulu.
“Even behind the scenes, they were part of this medal. It was a team effort from the seven of us.”
Nene, who finished fifth in the individual 400m final, said: “The guys ran well, set me up, and I was glad I was able to deliver my side of the job.
“I’m proud of my brothers, and we’re looking forward to the journey ahead.”
The men’s 4x100m team, featuring Shaun Maswanganyi, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine, narrowly missed the final after a collision with Italy in the heats. Given a rerun in a solo time trial, they clocked 38.64 seconds — short of the 38.34 needed.
“This is the moment when one doesn’t know whether to cry or to celebrate as if we’ve won gold,” said Athletics South Africa president James Moloi. “The medal shows there’s more to come for South Africa on the world stage.”
Meanwhile, across the track, history was being made in the sprints. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became only the second woman to claim a world sprint treble after leading the US to 4x100m relay gold, adding to her 100m and 200m titles. She led off in driving rain before handing to Twanisha Terry, with Kayla White running the bend and Sha’Carri Richardson crossing the line in 41.75 seconds.
“I did what I wanted to do individually and then came back together with my girls, my training partners, and we were all able to walk away with the gold medal, so I’m really happy about that,” Jefferson-Wooden said.
For South African sprinters, Jefferson-Wooden’s treble and the US relay’s precision offer a benchmark: individual brilliance is not enough at the global level — cohesion, preparation and teamwork are key. | ASA and AFP
