The South African men’s 4x400m relay team won a silver medal at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas over the weekend.
This achievement ended a five-year medal drought on the international track stage for the nation.
And they achieved their medal success without runner Wayde van Niekerk didn’t even compete in the final. He was replaced by 22-year-old Antonie Nortje for the final.
The South African quartet, made up of Gardeo Isaacs, Zakithi Nene, Nortje, and Lythe Pillay, clocked in at 3:00.75, coming in second to a strong Botswana team that won gold with a time of 2:59.11.
The South African men’s 4x100m team also secured their place at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris by performing well enough in the qualifiers to make it through to the Olympics.
The 4x100m team, which saw junior athlete Bradley Nkoana replace national 200m record holder Clarence Munyai for the Olympic qualifiers, did well in their heat, winning in 38.08 seconds – a time that would have earned them a silver medal had they reached the final.
However, the mixed 4x400m team faced challenges, as they needed to secure an Olympic qualifying spot, finishing third in their heat.
With Pillay having to compete in both the mixed and men’s 4x400m races within hours of each other, the team fell short, finishing in 3:15.96.
They now need to break the South African record of 3:14.97 by the end of June to qualify for the Paris Games. They are currently rank 14th on the qualifying list.
Compiled by staff writer
Pictured above: Lythe Pillay.
Image source: World Athletics/X
