The penultimate day of the World Athletics Championships saw Team SA Olympic silver medallists Jo-Ane du Plessis and the strong Team SA relay squads in action in Tokyo. Du Plessis finished fourth in the final with a best throw of 63.06m.
The men’s 4x100m squad was given a reprieve after appealing following their race when their first changeover was impeded by Italy. They must now run a solo race on Sunday in 38.34 or better to be given a place in the final.
South Africa is yet to win a medal so far at the Championships.
SATURDAY ACTION
Men’s 4x100m, heats: South Africa (Shaun Maswanganyi, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine) finished 6th in 37.61 but appealed immediately after the race, with Maswanganyi having been impeded by the Italians at the first changeover and not getting the baton to Dambile. They won the appeal and must run a solo race in 38.34 or faster on Sunday morning to be included in the final.
Men’s 4x400m, heats: South Africa (Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Lythe Pilay) won their heat in 2:58.81 to qualify for the final as fourth fastest, with pre-event favourites the USA missing out
Women’s 4x400m, heats: South Africa (Shirley Nekhubui, Marlie Viljoen, Hannah van Niekerk and Zeney van der Walt)) finished 7th in their heat in 328.14 and missed out on a place in the final
Women’s shot put, qualification: Mine de Klerk achieved a distance of 17.39m which left her outside of the final in 24th place overall, while Ashley Erasmus (30th with 16.90m) and Colette Uys (32nd with 16.68m) also didn’t progress to the final
Women’s javelin, FINAL: Jo-Ane du Plessis finished 4th with a best throw of 63.06m
OVERALL PERFORMANCES
MEN
100m: Akani Simbine and Gift Leotlela both came through the heats and semi-final to reach the final, but Retshidisitswe Mlenga fell out in the heats. Leotlela finished 5th in 9.95 in the final, with Simbine 7th in 10.04
200m: Wayde van Niekerk reached the semi-finals where he clocked a 20.12. Sinesipho Dambile produced a PB of 19.97 in the semi-finals to qualify for the final where he finished 8th. Naeem Jack was eliminated in the heats
400m: Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay both progressed from the heats into the semi-finals where Pillay was eliminated after finishing 6th in his race. Nene won his semi-final impressively in 44.20 to reach the final. In the final, he led through the firts 250m, before tiring to finish 5th in 44.55
1500m: Ryan Mphahlele finished 13th in his heat and didn’t progress to the semi-finals. Tshepo Tshite qualified for the final after cruising through his heat and finishing 6th in his semi-final in 3:36.93. He finished 9th in the final in 3:35.50
10,000m: Adriaan Wildschutt finished 10th in the one-off final in 29:58.47
110m hurdles: John Adesola finished 6th in his heat in 13.57, for 28th overall. Mondray Barnard also finished 6th in his heat, also in 13.57, for 30th overall. Antonio Alkana finished 7th in his heat in 13.64, for 33rd overall. None of these three qualified for the semi-finals
400m hurdles: Sabelo Dhlamini finished 5th in his heat in 49.50, for 30th overall and he did not progress to the semi-finals
Marathon: Elroy Galant finished 33rd in 2:16:32 in a race where 23 of the 89 starters were unable to complete the course
Long jump: Cheswill Johnson was eliminated in the qualification round after a distance of 7.55m left him 32rd overall
Shot put: Aiden Smith and Chris van Niekerk were eliminated in qualification
Javelin: Douw Smit threw 81.23m for 18th overall and was eliminated in qualification
WOMEN
400m: Shirley Nekhubui was eliminated in the heats
800m: Prudence Sekgodiso and Charne du Plessis both registered DNFs in the heats, both stepping off the track with mid-race injuries
100m hurdles: Marione Fourie finished 2nd in her heat to qualify for the semi-finals, where she was DQ’d
400m hurdles: Zeney Van der Walt finished 4th in her heat to qualify for the semi-finals where she finished 7th in her race and missed out on a place in the final. Rogail Joseph finished 7th in her heat but she did not qualify for the semi-finals
Long jump: Danielle Nolte was eliminated in qualification
Javelin: Jo-Ane du Plessis threw 61.38m in qualifying to reach the final and bettered that with a distance of 63.06m in the final, which placed her 4th
Shot put: Mine de Klerk (17.39m), Ashley Erasmus (16.90m) and Colette Uys (16.68m) were all eliminated in the qualification round
Pole vault: Mire Reinstorf was unable to measure a height in qualification and didn’t progress to the final
35km race walk: Jessica Groenewald finished 34th in the final
RELAYS
Men’s 4x100m: Team SA (Shaun Maswangani, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine) finished 6th the heats in 37.61 but appealed immediately after the race, with Maswanganyi having been impeded by the Italians at the first changeover and not getting the baton to Dambile.
Men’s 4x400m: Team SA (Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Lythe Pilay) won their heat in 2:58.81 to qualify for the final as fourth fastest
Women’s 4x400m, heats: Team SA Africa (Shirley Nekhubui, Marlie Viljoen, Hannah van Niekerk and Zeney van der Walt) finished 7th in their heat in 328.14 and missed out on a place in the final
Mixed 4x400m: Team SA (Gardeo Isaacs, Miranda Coetzee, Leendert Koekemoer and Zeney van der Walt) ran an African record 3:11.16 in the heats and then Isaacs, Nekhubui, Koekemoer and Van der Walt finished 6th in the final
