South Africa will have one last chance to end their eight-year medal drought at the World Athletics Championships, after the national men’s 4x100m relay team failed in their solo bid to reach the final in Tokyo on Sunday morning.
Following a collision between Shaun Maswanganyi and former Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy during the first changeover in the opening round, the SA quartet were given a lifeline when they won their appeal.
They were given an opportunity to run a solo time trial in the early session on Sunday, needing to run 38.34 seconds or faster to earn a lane in the final.
However, Maswanganyi, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine circled the track in 38.64 and they were eliminated.
4x400m relay final
This meant the SA squad had only one more opportunity to earn the nation’s first medal at the World Championships since 2017.
The men’s 4x400m quartet – Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Lythe Pillay – won their heat on Saturday in 2:58.51.
With options to strengthen the team by bringing in the likes of individual 400m finalist Zakithi Nene and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, they were set to turn out among the medal contenders in the final at 1.25pm (SA time) on Sunday.
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