2 days ago
Untidy handover costs Bayanda Walaza golden treble in student games finale
Double sprint champion Bayanda Walaza had to settle for the 4x100m silver on Sunday afternoon as South Africa wrapped up their World Student Games campaign by claiming three last medals at the weekend.
In the morning rowers Kat Williams and Courtney Westley secured silver in the women's pair, winning the country's only medal outside swimming and athletics. And javelin-thrower Jana van Schalkwyk took bronze in the women's event on Saturday night with a distance of 56.73m.
The nation ended seventh on the medals table with six gold, five silver and eight bronze, though they finished fourth on the athletics medals table and fifth in the swimming standings.
An untidy final handover from Mthi Mthimkulu to Walaza cost the Mzansi flyers as they ended second behind Korea in the final athletics event of the showpiece.
Walaza, the 100m and 200m champion at the Universiade, went into the relay expected to make it three sprint golds, but just when it seemed they were going to make it, the South Africans came unstuck.
Kyle Zinn, fifth in the 100m, got off to a good start, with Retshidisitswe Mlenga and Mthimkulu advancing the baton at the front of the race.