The national 4x400m relay team ended an eight-year medal drought for South Africa at the World Championships.
The joy in the South African team was evident in their post-race interview on Sunday, with even the most accomplished athlete in the national squad, Wayde van Niekerk, grinning from ear to ear after the SA men’s 4x400m relay quartet grabbed the bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships.
Heading into the final session in Tokyo, the country had still not secured a medal, with multiple medal contenders missing out in what had been a relatively disappointing all-round effort.
Offering some relief, however, Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Van Niekerk and Zakithi Nene combined well to complete the four-lap race in 2:57.83.
They finished in the same official time as the United States, who took second place, with the SA quartet edged into third position by just 0.002 (two thousandths of a second).
In a blanket finish, pre-race favourites Botswana narrowly held on for gold in 2:57.76.
‘I really see the growth’
Van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder, was among the last group of South Africans to step on the podium for South Africa when he secured 400m gold and 200m silver at the 2017 World Championships in London (where the SA team raked in a total of six medals).
“This is a generation I’ve learned to care for and love a lot, and I really see the growth in each and every one of them,” said 32-year-old Van Niekerk.
“The motivation I got here to compete with them was really amazing, and in this moment I think it’s really just an honour for me to be be standing with these guys, and not just them but the guys who fought for us in the heats (Gardeo Isaacs and junior athlete Leendert Koekemoer, who were dropped for the final).
“I’ve been questioning my journey for a good few years now… and I think my entire year was focussed on being here for these guys, being as healthy as I could and being in the best shape I could to represent the country. It was amazing and I’m just grateful.”
Nene glad to deliver
While Van Niekerk ran out of his socks to complete the third leg in 43.26 seconds, showing form he hasn’t displayed since picking up a serious knee injury in 2017, Zakithi Nene was equally important in carrying them home on the final leg which he completed in 43.93.
“We had our objectives for the relay and I think we delivered, as expected,” said Nene, who finished fifth in the individual 400m final earlier in the week.
“The guys ran pretty well, set me up, and I was glad I was able to deliver.”
