Latest news with #Leotlela
Daily Maverick
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
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
The Herald
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Newly crowned SA champion Gift Leotlela pulls up in 200m heats
Champion yesterday, out today! Newly crowned South African 100m champion Gift Leotlela pulled up in the 200m heats at the national showpiece in Potchefstroom on Friday morning. The 26-year-old overcame years of injuries to claim the first senior title of his career, winning the 100m on Thursday afternoon in a 9.99sec burst of speed that earned him a qualifying time for the world championships in Tokyo in September. Less than 18 hours later, however, Leotlela pulled up coming off the bend, dropping to the track and bowing his head. He immediately underwent a massage on his left leg and later admitted he had felt something go. But there was no noticeable limp as he walked out the stadium, heading off to get a diagnosis.
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Injury scare for comeback star Gift Leotlela at SA Athletics Championships
It remains unclear whether Leotlela will be available for the SA team at the World Relays in China next month. After making a spectacular comeback on Thursday to win his first national senior title in the 100m final, Gift Leotlela pulled up with a hamstring niggle in the 200m heats at the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom on Friday. Leotlela, who represented South Africa at the 2016 Rio Olympics as a teenager, and went on to set a 100m personal best of 9.94 seconds in 2021, had since struggled with injury and was unable to find his best form. Delivering a stunning performance on Thursday, he bounced back to shock the rest of the field, winning gold in the short sprint final at the national championships. He clocked 9.99 to edge out junior sensation Bayanda Walaza by 0.01. In the process, Leotlela qualified for the World Championships to be held in Tokyo later this year and stuck up his hand for a place in the SA 4x100m relay team, who are expected to challenge for a medal at the World Relays in China next month. Injury scare On Friday, however, he pulled up at the top of the finishing straight in his first-round 200m heat and stepped off the track. After getting a rub-down from a physio, Leotlela said he had 'felt something' in his left hamstring and had opted not to take any chances. His coach, Thabo Matebedi, later said that Leotlela had felt a nerve twitch and they were confident it wasn't too serious, but he needed to be taken for a scan before they knew for sure.
TimesLIVE
25-04-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Newly crowned SA champion Gift Leotlela pulls up in 200m heats
Champion yesterday, out today! Newly crowned South African 100m champion Gift Leotlela pulled up in the 200m heats at the national showpiece in Potchefstroom on Friday morning. The 26-year-old overcame years of injuries to claim the first senior title of his career, winning the 100m on Thursday afternoon in a 9.99sec burst of speed that earned him a qualifying time for the world championships in Tokyo in September. Less than 18 years later Leotlela pulled up coming off the bend, dropping to the track and bowing his head. He immediately underwent a massage on his left leg and later admitted he had felt something go. But there was no noticeable limp as he walked out the stadium, heading off to get a diagnosis. Coach Thabo Matebedi believed the injury was a nerve twitch in the hamstring and wouldn't keep the sprinter out for more than three days, adding he would undergo a scan. The World Relays, where the men's 4x100m team will attempt to qualify for Japan, takes place in China in two weeks' time. A team featuring Leotlela, Akani Simbine, Benjamin Richardson and Bayanda Walaza would give South Africa a full-house of sub-10-second sprinters. Walaza was the quickest in the morning 200m heats in 20.21, ahead of hurdler Naeem Jack in 20.37 and pre-race favourite Sinesipho Dambile, who won his heat in 20.67.
IOL News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Gift Leotlela and Adam Smith steal the show on day one of the ASA Senior Championships
Bayanda Walaza Bayanda Walaza eased into the semi-final of the men's 100m on day one. | BackpagePix He backed his performance with yet another impressive showing to qualify for the final in an unofficial time of 10.02, winning his semi-final race ahead of the exciting Karabo Letebele (10.22) and Paris silver medalist winner Bradley Nkoana (10.25), who finished third but was not fast enough to make the final. Bayanda Walaza, who has shown previously that he's fully capable of breaking the 10-second mark with a career best time of 9.99 seconds, also eased into the semi-finals of the men's 100m earlier in the day. Leotlela (9.95) ran the fastest time heading into the final, and although it was wind-assisted, he went into battle for the medals as the man to beat, in a final that would possibly require a faster time than the times set in qualifying. Gift Leotlela powered his way into a national men's 100m title on day one of the Athletics South Africa Senior Championships at the Puk McArthur Stadium in Potchefstroom on Thursday. It was a star-studded final headlined by some of South Africa's brightest talents on display, and making his first appearance at the South African championships in the last four years, Leotlela backed up his sub-ten-second heat time with an unofficial time of 9.99 seconds to beat Walaza to the line by the barest of margins, winning his first national title and booking his spot for the World Championships later this year in Tokyo, Japan. 'I knew what I did in the semi-final and had to do the same thing in the final. Leotlela said after winning the race. 'I knew I had to focus on myself and the execution of my race and not worry about anything else.' Leotlela was not quick off the blocks but had the better finish amongst all the finalists. 'I tried not to panic because I was coming from behind, and Bayanda and Benjamin (Richardson) are quick, so I had to stay composed.' Richardson (10.05) locked out the podium places, while Cheswill Johnson (10.12) and Letebele (10.17) were not far off. Elsewhere, Prudence Sekgodiso (2:06.85) won her women's 800m race, beating strong competition from Naum Bobape (2:08.19), who came in second after fading in the latter parts of the race, with Carise van Rooyen (2:09.95) finishing third. The world indoor 800m gold medalist showed her intentions from the line and maintained her lead throughout the two-lap race. Sekgodiso is expected to go hard into battle with last year's champion, Charne Swart, who eased into the second heat win in an unofficial time of 2:07.15, ahead of Gena Lofstrand (2:07.84), with Afiwe Hoboloshe coming in third place (2:08.69). Kyle Blignaut had to settle for second, as his throw of 20.07 was only second best to Aiden Smith's winning throw of 20.31 in the final of the men's shotput. The pair of them were miles ahead of their competition, with Hencu Lamberts only managing 17.89 in third position.
