UJ athletes blow the competition out of the water
Setting new South African records and taking gold medals, the athletes from UJ are setting the pace for the rest of South Africa's athletic world.
University of Johannesburg (UJ) athletes continue to showcase incredible athleticism in the 2025 season, setting and breaking new national records in their respective athletics events.
Read more: University of Johannesburg (UJ) athlete Sabelo Dhlamini clocks fastest 400m hurdles time
On March 12, Leandri Holtzhausen set a new South African record of 67.95m in the women’s hammer throw at the Athletics Grand Prix 1, held in Tshwane. She shattered her recent record of 66.54m, set at the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) Championships in Germiston last month. Shirley Nekhubui was part of the South African women’s 4x400m relay quartet, a team that shattered the national record with a time of 00:03:28.32.
Also read: UJs student athletes recognised at annual UJ Sport Awards
Recently, several UJ student-athletes, and club members, displayed remarkable speeds at various athletics events. Running the fastest times in 2025, Tsebo Matsoso took gold in the 60m and Udeme Okon took gold in the 150m sprints at the Akani Simbine Classic Shootout. Sabelo Dhlamini managed gold in the 400m hurdles, while Shirley Nekhubui took gold in the 300m individual sprints at the CGAs and Akani Simbine Classic Shootout.
UJ athletics manager and coach Roger Haitengi said: “It’s lovely to see that their hard work is paying off. These athletes started training as early as October/November last year, to prepare for this year. So, they’re fit and ready to qualify for various continental and international competitions, such as the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World Student Games, Junior and Senior World Championships, and the World Relays.”
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