Sensational Team SA take two golds and a bronze at World Athletics Relays in China

Daily Maverick

12-05-2025

It was a magical meeting for Team SA at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China as the men's 4x100m and 4x400m quartets took gold.
On the eve of the 2025 World Athletics Relays staged in Guangzhou, South Africa's sprint star Akani Simbine said the skill in relay running was about 'camaraderie'.
And the camaraderie of Team SA was so clear over the course of the week in China that when it came to slick handovers the South African men's relay team were among the best.
Being fast is obviously important. But being able to transfer the baton as seamlessly as possible while running at top speed, surrounded by the thundering feet and arms of competitors, is equally vital.
And in the men's 4x100m relay final, against strong US, Canadian and Japanese teams, Simbine and his colleagues — Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile and Bradley Nkoana — showed both traits as they took gold in a season best 37.61 seconds.
Their changes were smooth after being led out by Walaza — the world junior 100m and 200m champion — but by the last leg, Simbine was two metres behind the US' Brandon Hicklin.
That's where speed and experience won the day. Simbine stayed calm and relaxed as he catapulted off on the final leg to haul in Hicklin and dip perfectly at the line.
Team SA won by 0.05 seconds for their second World Relay gold at this discipline following their triumph in Poland in 2021.
Simbine, Walaza and Nkoana were part of the South African team that won silver at the Paris Olympics last year. Team SA not only beat the US, but 2024 Olympic champions Canada as well as Japan, who ran 37.84sec in the semi-final in China.
'Once I got the baton and I saw that the USA was in front of us, I just said to myself, 'I need to catch the guy in front',' Simbine said after the final.
'I knew I could do it, and I just chased him. I feed from chasing, I feed from being able to chase. So it's really great to be able to be in that position and get through it and get to the line first.'
Before the event started, Simbine explained the team's approach, which displayed his experience and showed the level of detail the quartet go to in their preparation.
'The big thing with the placing of the guys — everybody wants to be the anchor, because they feel like the anchor gets all the limelight,' Simbine said in an interview with World Athletics.
'But every position works with different strengths, and every athlete has different strengths. As a coach, when you're putting together a team, it's putting together the guys according to their strengths and not according to egos.
'You can have the fastest guys in the world at that time running, but if you don't get the stick around, and you don't have the guys in their best positions running, then it's not going to work out.
'It's the camaraderie and everybody just wanting to be part of the team and starting to believe in a relay culture in South Africa.
'Because before that, we didn't have a relay culture — it was always just 'show up and run'. Now people are actually believing in getting medals and the importance of getting medals from the World Championships or from the Olympics, and making it a priority. That's a big thing for us now.'
400m success
Less than half an hour after winning the men's 4x100m, South Africa notched up another victory, this time in the men's 4x400m, smashing the South African record in the process.
Gaerdeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Zakithi Nene produced a fine run, to snatch gold.
South Africa went into Sunday's final keen to avenge the defeat they suffered at the hands of Botswana last year. Lee Bhekempilo Eppie gave Botswana an early lead on the first leg, handing over just ahead of Great Britain and NI.
By the halfway point, Botswana continued to lead but South Africa was close behind in second, thanks to a 44.24 leg from Okon. Koekemoer maintained South Africa's pace on the third leg with an almost identical 44.23, which carried them into the lead towards the end of that stage with Botswana close behind.
Nene then pulled clear on the last leg for South Africa and powered through the line in 2:57.50, smashing the national record they set when finishing fifth in the Olympic final last year.
Behind him, 2024 world indoor champion Alexander Doom had navigated his way through the field with a late charge, taking second place in 2:58.19 while Botswana held on for third in 2:58.27.
Qualifying
The two-day event also served as qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in August.
For the first time, the relays included a mixed 4x100m relay, which will also be included in the World Championships later this year.
'It was great to be part of a team that brought an Olympic medal to South Africa,' Simbine said. 'But also, for me to see the next generation of South African sprinters coming through, and be a spearhead and a motivator for that.
'The mixed (relay) is a good idea. It brings a different taste to athletics. Now, it is not just about having the fastest men or the fastest women, it is about having the fastest team. I am going to be watching and supporting, to see how it works out.'
Team SA's men's 4x100m and 4x400m qualified for the World Championships while the women's 4x400m also qualified after a superb bronze medal in the final.
Team SA consisting of Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Coetzee, Precious Molepo and Zeney Geldenhuis, ran a national record time of 3:24.84, finishing just behind the USA and surprise gold medallists Spain. DM
Results
Men's 4x100m
South Africa — 37.61
United States — 37.66
Canada — 38.11
Men's 4x400m
South Africa — 2:57.50
Belgium — 2:58.19
Botswana — 2:58.27
Women's 4x400m
Spain — 3:24.13
United States — 3:24.72
South Africa — 3:24.84