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Javelin thrower, Jo-Ane du Plessis came 4th at the Tokyo World Championships 2025.
Eight days into the Athletics World Championships in Japan, and still no reason for Team South Africa to celebrate. Javelin thrower, Jo-Ane du Plessis, had to settle for 4th place in the women’s final, despite a season’s best of 63.06m.
The Paris Olympic Games silver medallist was in the bronze medal position until close to the end when she was pipped by MacKenzie Little of Australia.
Juleisy Angulo of Ecuador won gold with a distance of 65.12m.
There was mixed success for South Africa’s relay teams. The men’s 4x400m quartet qualified for Sunday’s final, comfortably winning their heat. But the men’s 4×100 metres team that won gold at the Relay World Championships in China in May, was disqualified following a botched handover after the first leg.
Team SA Relay 🇿🇦 putting in the final touches in Tokyo 🔥#WorldAthleticsChamps #TeamSA pic.twitter.com/7oO0G2jo9T
— Athletics South Africa (@AthleticsSA_) September 19, 2025
The women’s 4x400m team, bronze medallists in China, also failed to advance to tomorrow’s final.
South Africa’s men’s 4×100 metres relay team will be allowed to rerun their race tomorrow morning, but alone. South Africa were disqualified after a botched handover, but lodged an appeal following physical contact an Italian runner made with the South African at the end of the first leg.
The quarter will run against the clock and a time of 37.12 seconds or better should see them advance to the final, later in the day.
