SA sprinters closing the gap on the world’s best
Zaahier Adams
SASCOC athletes commission chairperson and former Olympic silver medallist Khotso Mokoena believes “sprinting is coming to Africa” after the recent success achieved both in Paris and Peru.
The South African 4x100m relay team bagged a silver medal at the Olympics, while Botswana’s 4x400m team improved on their bronze in Tokyo with a silver in Paris. The anchor leg of the Botswana team was run by 200m gold medallist Letsile Tebogo.
Both teams set new African records.
South Africa’s team was, of course, led by veteran Akani Simbine, but also contained the burgeoning talents of Shaun Maswanganyi, 23, Bradley Nkoana, 19, and Bayanda Walaza, 18.
Walaza further showcased his potential at the U20 World Championships held last month in Lima, Peru when he completed the sprint double by winning gold in both the 100m and 200m.
With 20-year-old Benjamin Richardson, who tore a hamstring in the 200m heats in Paris, also having run 9.86 and 19.99 in the 100m and 200m at the 2024 Resisprint La Chaux-de-Fonds meeting in Switzerland earlier this year, the future of South African sprinting certainly looks promising.
“Being a former elite athlete, I really think that the standard of South African sprinting has gone a few notches up. In the past, only a few of the events were famous in the country,” Mokoena said.
“If you look at when I was doing long jump back in the day, those were the big events. We didn’t have super young sprinters that were showing so much talent.
“Look at Bayanda, Richardson, Bradley … you can see that the future of South African sprinting is growing. Have a look at the relay team from Paris and the fact that it consisted of young sprinters. It shows the sprinting culture is growing.
“We are catching up to the likes of the US. We are competing and beating some of them. In fact, Africa as a whole.
“It seems like sprinting is coming to Africa. Before it was dominated by the Americans and Jamaicans, but now we are starting to produce that. That means there are going to be more sprinters in the future in Africa.”
Mokoena feels that the evergreen Simbine’s determination has been the inspiration for all the emerging sprinters.
“I really think the energy of Akani Simbine is inspiring these youngsters (to believe) that it’s possible,” he said.
“Even if you don’t get it in your first one, it’s possible to get it in the next one. That’s the inspiration that our sprinters are lacking; to keep going and not give up early.
“Akani kept going and going, and finally he got an Olympic medal to show for it. That’s an inspiration to these young guys.”
He also believes continued support from Sascoc through its Operation Excellence Programme (Opex) – the initiative aimed at providing backing to athletes with the potential to secure qualifications and win medals at major international competitions – is critical to seeing the young talent fulfil their potential on the global stage.
“I really think in terms of development we are seeing our federations take up the hat in developing the young ones,” he said.
“Take a look at Swimming SA and the young athletes that they have, and Athletics SA they are developing, and look at Hockey SA, the young players that are starting to take centre stage.
“That’s the development path that they are taking. Opex plays a really big role in developing the youngsters to get a chance to prepare themselves and get a taste of elite preparation.”