Gift Leotlela's 100m performance shows South Africa's sprinters are ready to take on the world
'I've never had a South African senior title. This is my first.' Gift Leotlela stunned a packed field, including Bayanda Walaza and Benjamin Richardson, at the Senior National Track & Field Championships on Thursday.
South Africa's 100m sprint stocks are as filled as they're ever been, with former under-20 World Championship silver medalist Gift Leotlela pushing back to his best.
Leotlela stunned the 100m sprint field on Thursday when he dipped over the finish line first at the Athletics South Africa Senior National Track & Field Championships in Potchefstroom at North West University's track field.
The 26-year-old crossed in 9.99 seconds, edging ahead of the highly rated 19-year-old Bayanda Walaza, who crossed in exactly 10 seconds.
Paris Olympic Games 100m semi-finalist Benjamin Richardson crossed the finish line in 10.05 seconds to round out the podium. Richardson has a personal best of 9.86 seconds which he ran last year, and was only 0.02 seconds off making the final of the Olympic Games.
Akani Simbine, the country's greatest-ever runner across 100m, was not at the event, as he is in China preparing for the opening Diamond League race of the season.
Bradley Nkoana, who was part of the South African relay team that claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games, did not make the final.
Missing out?
While the depth in sprinting stocks is great news for the nation, it does mean that someone will have to miss out on the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Both Leotlela and Walaza achieved the qualifying time of 10 seconds in the final, and Richardson, whose Olympic semifinal time of 9.95 seconds is also below the Olympic qualifying threshold, are all eligible for selection.
Meanwhile, Simbine has the current world lead in the distance in 9.90 seconds. But South Africa can only send three athletes to the event. It will be up to the selectors to make that decision.
Thursday was the first time in four years that Leotlela ran at the national championships, having struggled with injuries after a promising junior career.
He came into the final with the fastest time in the semi-finals in 9.95 seconds but it was wind-assisted, meaning it would not have counted toward World Championship qualifications.
Come from behind
Did that put pressure on Leotlela to perform in the final?
'Not really,' he said after the race.
'I knew what I did in the semi-final, I just had to do the same thing in the final; focus on myself and my execution and not worry about anything else.'
Walaza pulled away early in the race with his typical fast start, forcing Leotlela to play catch-up and reel in the youngster.
'I tried not to panic but that was the race for me, just not to panic because I didn't have a great start,' the national champion said.
'I was coming from behind and it was Bayanda and Benjamin, who are quick, so I just had to stay composed.'
After his absence from the national limelight, Leotlela was asked what meant more for him, sealing his maiden national title or achieving a qualifying time for the World Championships. His answer was emphatic.
'The title,' he said. 'I've never had a South African senior title. This is my first.
'Before I ran [someone] said to me, there's two things I haven't done. One is SA senior champs, and I didn't qualify [for World Championships]. And I did both [in this race].'
The 200m sprint final takes place on Friday, with Leotlela looking to take home a double sprint crown. DM
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