Latest news with #U20WorldChampionships
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Young Koekemoer has a bright future ahead after helping South Africa to gold
Leendert Koekemoer's maturity that helped South Africa win the men's 4x400m gold medal at the World Athletics (WA) Relay Championships in China was replaced by a youthful exuberance when the national relay teams touched down at OR Tambo International Airport on May 14. The 400m sensation and his teammates were welcomed with fanfare after the men's 4×100 m and 4x400m clinched gold medals. The women's 4×400 m got a bronze, as South Africa ended the competition at the top of the medal standings. The 18-year-old will jet off to Tokyo for the WA Championships in September after the teams qualified for the competition. Koekemoer shone in the final with a blistering third leg. Botswana had a slight advantage over South Africa when he received the baton. He found his footing, running the second fastest split of 44.23 to finish strongly to give anchor, Zakithi Nene, the easy job of securing the gold. 'It was fantastic. I did not go to the relays to run a fast time. I just wanted to give the baton to Zakithi first. The time came by itself. I did not realise it until the end,' he said. Sharing his experience as the youngest member in the team, the Dalview resident thanked his seniors for taking him in and showing him the ropes. 'I had a wonderful experience. It was my first time out of the country. All the senior guys helped me. They invited me in. They helped me with this and that. It was a pleasant experience.' Koekemoer first showed glimpses of his potential two years ago when he won the national U18 400m title in 46.38. However, injuries affected his progress last year. He returned strong this year, starting with a blistering 45.96 at the Wildeklawer TUT Top 14 in January, dipping under 46 seconds for the first time. He has since broken the 46-second barrier three more times, including breaking the SA U20 record when he ran 45.03 at the ASA senior track and field championships in Pochefstroom last month, smashing Riaan Dempers' 31-year-old record. Growing up in Brakpan, the Helpmekaar Kollege matriculant never envisaged he would enjoy so much success in the sport he loves this early in his career. 'I always wanted to run, but did not know I could run this well. If not for my parents, coach Lindi du Plessis and training partner Lythe Pillay, I would not be here. I want to keep my head in the game. The 400m is a very mental race. You must know the lactic will come at the end,' Koekemoer. Pillay, a former national 400m champion from Brentwood Park, is a role model for Koekemoer, who described Pillay's significant influence on his career. 'I started training with Lythe when I was in Grade Eight. I have been with him my whole career. I trained every 400m session with him. If not for him pushing me, I would not be here. He is a role model and someone you can look up to.' Also Read: Pillay on course to defend title at nationals Also Read: Pillay wins gold in one-lap dash at U20 World Championships At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Controversial 20-minute red card will apply across professional rugby
Rugby's controversial 20-minute red card will be applied in all professional competitions next season after the World Rugby Council approved the measure for a global trial. The rule was trialled in this year's Six Nations, with Garry Ringrose receiving the first 20-minute punishment for an accidental clash of heads in the game against Wales. The 20-minute punishment applies to foul play that the match officials don't see as 'deliberate or intentional'. The offending player is sent off for the remainder of the game, as usual, but can be replaced by a substitute after 20 minutes. French rugby led opposition to the rule, fearing it may encourage more aggressive play and expose players to injury. The IRFU also voiced reservations about the rule last October. World Rugby say the rule helps preserve the spectacle of rugby for spectators, ensuring that "individual players – not the contest as a whole – bear the consequence of reckless actions". It adds: "Importantly, referees retain the authority to issue a full and permanent red card for any foul play considered deliberate and highly dangerous. Two yellow cards will constitute a 20-minute red card, unless the second offence meets the threshold for a full red card." The rule will take effect from the U20 World Championships in June and will apply in the Women's World Cup in August. It remains to be seen if it will be used during the Lions series in Australia. It is up to the Lions and the Wallabies to apply for the rule to be in force. A global law trial is the final step before any trial law becomes a full law of the game subject to Council approval. World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: 'Our mission is to ensure rugby is a compelling sport to play and watch. The 20-minute red card preserves the fairness and drama of elite competition by punishing the individual, not the entire team or the spectacle. 'Player welfare is non-negotiable. We monitor data around head injuries, tackle height, and concussion rigorously – and transparently. If evidence ever indicated this trial posed greater risk, we would end it immediately.' The Council also approved a measure so that from 2025, all law trials in the men's game will begin on August 1 each year, ensuring that all international matches are played under the same set of law and trials regardless of where in the world they are played. Meanwhile, the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup will take place next December. With World Rugby rankings set to determine how teams are seeded in the draw, Ireland's autumn internationals against New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and South Africa will have a bearing on their draw placing - as well as the summer fixtures with Georgia and Portugal. Elsewhere, the Barbarians have announced that Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray will feature in the June 28th meeting with South Africa in Cape Town.
India Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Relief, then fire: Neeraj Chopra's 90m breakthrough lights a fresh fuse
Neeraj Chopra didn't let out a celebratory roar. There was no fist pump into the warm Doha air, no theatrical flourish as he finally conquered the elusive 90-metre mark. Instead, he simply shook his head and allowed himself a wry smile. Relief, not rapture, coloured his expression. The monkey was off his back at Friday, Neeraj became just the 25th man in history to breach the coveted 90-metre barrier in men's javelin. It was a milestone years in the making. Ever since he unleashed a stunning 86.48m throw as a teenager at the U20 World Championships in 2016, he had been earmarked for greatness—and he delivered. Two Olympic medals, including a historic gold, a World Championship title, and the Diamond League trophy—he had won it all. Yet one achievement continued to slip just out of reach for India's golden boy from he went, the 90-metre question followed. Statistically, he has been the most consistent javelin thrower of the modern era, recording 14 throws between 88 and 90 metres since his Olympic triumph in Tokyo. But a nation wanted more - it wanted magic. It wanted 90. He came agonisingly close. At the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022, he fell just six centimetres short. At the Olympic final in Paris, with only one legal throw, he reached 89.45m. Later that year, in the Lausanne Diamond League Final, he edged even nearer—just four centimetres Chopra joins the 90M Neeraj Chopra finally broke the 90m barrier for the first time in his career, with a throw of 90.23 at the Doha Diamond League. #NeerajChopra Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) May 16, 2025'A lot of people kept asking whether I'd ever throw 90 metres—because I hadn't done it despite competing at the top level since 2018,' Neeraj told RevSportz, moments after his landmark throw in hit 88, 89... but never 90. Finally, not just for me, but for all Indians, the weight has lifted. And I feel like I can go even further,' he said, speaking for a nation he once again made IRONY IN DOHAIronically, the Doha Diamond League was perhaps the first competition in recent memory where the 90-metre question wasn't raised in the customary pre-event press conference. From his new coach Jan Zelezny to India-Pakistan sporting tensions, Neeraj fielded a range of questions—but not that come Friday evening, as he stepped out for warm-ups, there was a quiet certainty about him. Calm, composed, and purposeful, Neeraj looked like a man on a mission. He reportedly warmed up by casually flinging the spear beyond 80 metres—an early sign of what was to in his signature sky-blue kit, the now-iconic headband in place and the support belt snug around his hips, Neeraj lined up for his first attempt. The javelin cut through the night sky and landed at 88.44m - a world-leading mark at the looked pleased. It was only his opening throw, in his first major outing of the VISIBLE MINOR TWEAKS Neeraj Chopra became the 25th man to breach the 90-metre barrier. Courtesy: PTI In the build-up to Doha, Neeraj had hinted at feeling sharper and injury-free after many years. He was able to overcome a nagging groin injury in the off-season. He had spoken about good rhythm in warm-ups, and the impact of working with Zelezny—the legendary Czech world-record holder—since February. Though their partnership was still new, Neeraj acknowledged technical tweaks and routine changes they had begun to implement. He spoke candidly about finding his feet with Zelezny after five successful years under former coach Klaus Bartonietz. The decision to shake things up was deliberate and changes were visible in his very first attempt. He wasn't getting quite as side-on as before, and after braking and releasing, his posture looked more balanced than he was more balanced than ever before. Yet, the arms didn't go up—his signature sign of satisfaction—as the spear second throw was a came the third—the one destined for history. As always, Neeraj rallied the crowd before his run-up, then charged into the take-off zone. He let fly—and this time, he knew. The arms shot up. That familiar gesture huge,' the commentators exclaimed, sensing the the scoreboard flashed 90.23m, the real eruption happened not on the field, but across commentary boxes and social media feeds. Neeraj, on the other hand, appeared serene—quietly absorbing the weight of what he had just achieved. He hadn't just crossed a distance. He had breached a barrier—mental and WORK TO DO! Neeraj Chopra finished second in the Doha Diamond League. Courtesy: PTI Yes, Friday was historic. But Neeraj would be the first to admit that 90.23 is, in the end, just another number. Even in Doha, the celebration came with a reminder: he would need to throw farther. Germany's Julian Weber, 30, eclipsed Neeraj's mark with a stunning 91.06m effort—his own long-awaited breakthrough beyond 90 metres—snatching the top spot with his final throw. Weber had been knocking on the door for years, building steadily with a string of consistent performances before delivering that late-round 'kaboom'.advertisementFor years, Neeraj has worn consistency like a badge of honour. But it was after the heartbreak of the Paris Olympic final—where Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem claimed gold with a jaw-dropping 92.97m Olympic record—that Neeraj first spoke with urgency about the need to throw Friday, though, there was a shift. He spoke not with anxiety, but with assurance. Now that he's breached 90, he believes there's more in the tank.'I know I can throw better. And I will, this year,' Neeraj said. 'I wanted to see the path to 90m. Now that I've seen it, I'll get better. I was consistently throwing 88, 89. I'm confident that I can now consistently throw 90 and beyond.'The fight for supremacy in men's javelin is shaping into one of the most compelling storylines of the 2025 athletics season. The season-opening Doha Diamond League has already raised the time under Jan Zelezny's guidance, the taste of 90 still fresh, and a renewed fire stoked by fierce rivals—everything is aligning to sharpen Neeraj's edge. He knows defending his world title in September won't come easy. The months ahead will be about pushing boundaries, testing limits, and chasing something even when it all comes to a head in Tokyo, it won't just be a title on the line—it'll be legacy. The target is no longer 90. It's everything Watch
The Star
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Bayanda Walaza and Prudence Sekgodiso among the leading athletes set to take to the track at the ASA Senior Championships.
The Athletics South Africa Senior Championships are set to get underway on Thursday at the North-West University McArthur Stadium in Potchefstroom, promising a weekend of thrilling competition and fast-paced action. Running from Thursday through to Saturday, the national championships will see the very best of South Africa's athletics talent on display as they compete across a range of track and field events in pursuit of national glory. Beyond medals and titles, the event also serves as an opportunity for athletes who are yet to do so to secure qualification for the upcoming World Athletics Championships, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan, later this year. The championships will be without several big names, including Akani Simbine, Maroane Fourie, Lythe Pillay, and Jo-Ane du Plessis, as they are set to compete at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China, on Saturday. World junior champion Bayanda Walaza will be one of the headline acts in the men's 100m sprint event. The 19-year-old continues to shine as one of South Africa's brightest young talents, having lived up to every expectation placed on him so far. After helping secure a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Walaza went on to claim both the 100m and 200m titles at the U20 World Championships held in Lima, Peru, last year. He'll be in elite company this weekend, with 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk set to compete in both the men's 100m and 200m events. The sprint lineup will also feature Olympic finalists Benjamin Richardson and Bradley Nkoana, making it one of the most anticipated showdowns of the championships. The middle-distance races are also set to be among the highlights of the championships, with World Indoor 800m champion Prudence Sekgodiso expected to light up the track. She is expected to be competing in both the 800m and 1500m events, and following her impressive early-season form, all eyes will be on her to maintain her dominance and deliver yet another commanding performance.
