National records were broken in the men’s and women’s 4x400m events.
South Africa made its biggest statement yet as a growing powerhouse in international sprinting, securing three medals on Sunday at the World Athletics Relays championship in Guangzhou, China.
While the nation has seen a steady improvement in relay events in recent years, the SA squad had never before secured more than one medal at an edition of the World Relays showpiece.
And they not only raked in two global titles at the weekend, but they also broke two national records on the second and final day of competition in Guangzhou.
The national men’s 4x100m quartet – junior sensation Bayanda Walaza, SA 200m champion Sinesipho Dambile, 20-year-old Bradley Nkoana and experienced rocket Akani Simbine – secured victory in the one-lap final in 37.61 seconds.
They were just 0.04 outside the SA record of 37.57 which the national squad – Walaza, Nkoana, Simbina and Shaun Maswanganyi – achieved when they earned silver at last year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
And the men’s 4x400m team combined just as well on Sunday, with Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, 17-year-old Leendert Koekemoer and national champion Zakithi Nene storming to gold in 2:57.50.
They tore a massive chunk (0.62) off the SA record of 2:58.12 set by Nene, Isaacs, Lythe Pillay and Anotnie Nortje when they finished fifth at the Paris Olympics.
It was the second year in a row that South Africa stepped on the 4x400m podium at the World Relays championship, having returned home from the Bahamas with silver last year.
Women’s 4x400m record
Meanwhile, in the women’s 4x400m final on Sunday, the SA quartet of Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Coetzee, Precious Molepo and Zeney Geldenhuys clocked 3:24.84 to grab the bronze medal.
They were spectacular, shattering the national mark of 3:28.01 set by Nekhubui, Molepo, Geldenhuys and Hannah van Niekerk in the heats the day before.
Ahead of them, Spain won gold in 3:24.13 and the United States earned the silver medal in 3:24.72.
The SA mixed 4x400m team – Van Niekerk, Mthi Mthimkulu, Jada van Staden and Tumisang Shezi – took fifth place in the final 3:16.29.
All four SA squads had reached the finals of their events with solid performances in the heats on Saturday, qualifying automatically for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo in September.
