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Zakithi Nene during a race.
Team South Africa’s wait for its first medals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo continues. Zakithi Nene finished 5th in the men’s 400 metres final, while Sinesipho Dambile qualified for his first ever major championship final, unfortunately, at the expense of compatriot Wayde Van Niekerk.
Both Prudence Sekgodiso and Charne du Plessis unfortunately stepped off the track in their 800 metres races due to injuries.
Nene was one of the favourites in the men’s 400 metres final. But the national champion, who was out for six weeks prior to the championships due to an injury, faded after a fast start to his race.
He clocked 44.55 seconds – almost eight-tenths of a second slower than his season’s best.
The race was won by Collen Kebinatshipi from Botswana in a world lead time of 43.53 seconds. It’s Botswana’s first ever men’s gold medal at a World Championships.
In the men’s 200 metres semifinals, Sinesipho Dambile, qualified for his first major championship final.
The 2022 and 2025 national champion managed to qualify as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers, edging out compatriot Wayde van Niekerk. The 23-year-old also achieved his personal best time of 19.97 seconds, the sixth fastest time overall.
Three-time world champion, Noah Lyles, will be the overwhelming favourite to win the final. The American won the third heat in a season’s best and world lead time of 19.51 seconds.
