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With the Northern Hemisphere summer athletics circuit in full swing, South Africa’s track and field athletes have been actively competing across several international meets over the past week. From the Diamond League in London to various Continental Tour events in Europe and the United States, our local contenders delivered a string of encouraging results as they continue to test their form against global competition.
Here is a roundup of how the South African contingent fared over the past few days.
Consistent Speed in the Sprints
South Africa’s sprinters showed promising form across several European meets. At the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Luzern, Switzerland, rising talent Bayanda Walaza put in a strong performance to win his 100m final in 10.05 seconds, closely followed by compatriot Bradley Nkoana, who took second in 10.18s.
At the highly anticipated Diamond League meet in London, Gift Leotlela managed to dip under the 10-second mark, clocking 9.99s to secure a credible fifth place in a world-class 100m field. Meanwhile, veteran sprinter Akani Simbine tied for fourth place at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix in Budapest, finishing his 100m race in 10.05s.
In the women’s events, Viwe Jingqi had a solid outing at the Moore-Guldensporenmeeting in Kortrijk, Belgium, taking second place in her 100m final with a time of 11.27s, and following it up with a fourth-place finish in her 200m race.
Strong Showings in the 400m
South Africa’s 400m specialists also picked up a few notable victories. Lythe Pillay looked composed in Luzern, winning the men’s 400m in 44.88s. In Budapest, Zakithi Nene held his ground in a fast field to claim third place with a time of 44.57s.
On the women’s side, Zenéy Geldenhuys ran a well-executed race to win the 400m Hurdles at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, USA, finishing in 55.48s. Back in Europe, Marlie Viljoen won her 400m race (52.71s) at the Meeting of Braga in Portugal, and Abelines Schoeman secured a 400m win (45.93s) at the meet in Kortrijk, Belgium.
Barnard Highlights the Hurdles
A major positive from the week was the form of sprint hurdler Mondray Barnard, who secured two victories in the 110m hurdles, including a meeting record. He first took top honours at the Tampere Meeting in Finland with a time of 13.30s, leading a South African 1-2 finish alongside John Adesola (13.40s), and later won his final in Luzern with a 13.36s finish.
In the 400m hurdles, Njabulo Mbatha earned a second-place finish in Memphis (51.68s), while Juan-Franco Hattingh also took second in Liège, Belgium (51.15s).
Middle Distance and Field Results
In the middle-distance events, Renier de Villiers executed a well-timed race in Belgium to win his 800m final in 1:46.10.
In the field events, pole vaulter Kyle Rademeyer cleared 5.65m for a respectable fourth-place finish at the Meeting Madrid. In the Netherlands, Kristi Snyman secured third place in the high jump (1.84m), and long jumper Divan Manuel took second place in Kortrijk with a jump of 7.99m.
Looking Ahead
Overall, it was a productive week for the South African athletes. As the international calendar pushes toward the latter half of the season, including the upcoming Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Ultimate Championship and Diamond League finals, these consistent performances provide a solid foundation for the crucial months ahead
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