South Africa strike gold at Relay Worlds

Akani Simbine, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion and one of the medal favourite for a 100m medal at the Tokyo Olympics, took over the baton three metres down on Brazil’s Paulo Andre Camilo De Oliveira but snatched victory on the line by a hundredth of a second in a time of 38.71sec.

The team consisted of Simbine, Clarence Munyai, Thando Dlodlo and Gift Leotlela who showed huge resolve to pull off a historic victory.

The race was so close that the Brazilians were celebrating before the South Africans were announced as winners.

The Brazilians’ disappointment was compounded when they were then disqualified for running out of their lane.

In an incident-filled race, Ghana were also disqualified and Italy were promoted to second place in a time of 39.21, with Japan third in 39.42.

In the women’s race, a storming run on the back straight by two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers gave the Netherlands a huge lead coming into the final changeover but a disastrous exchange left lead-in runner Naomi Sedney trailing in behind Italy who won in 43.79.

Junior prodigy Lythe Pillay, Zakithi Nene, Oscar Mavundla and Ranti Dikgale, meanwhile, ensured South Africa took fifth spot in the men’s 4x400m final.

Having progressed as the third quickest team in the heats the day before, they completed the four-lap race in 3:05.76 and have automatically qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

The South African national mixed 4x400m team – Ranti Dikgale, Simon Khuzwayo, Deline Mpiti (woman) and Taylon Bieldt (woman) – were sixth in their heat in 3:19.18 on Saturday’s opening day of competition and therefore did not qualify for a place in the final.

The first eight finishers in the 4x100m, 4x400m and mixed 4x400m events automatically qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, and the first ten finishers in the 4x100m and 4x400m, and first 12 in the mixed 4x400m relay will automatically qualify for the 2022 World Championships in Oregon.