--- title: "Sensational Team SA take two golds and a bronze at World Athletics Relays in China" description: "It was a magical meeting for Team SA at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China as the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m quartets took gold." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "GOLDEN WEEK" author: "Craig Ray" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/craig-ray/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-05-12-sensational-team-sa-take-two-golds-and-a-bronze-at-world-athletics-relays-in-china/" published: "2025-05-12T12:08:55" updated: "2025-05-12T12:08:58" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 1131 --- # Sensational Team SA take two golds and a bronze at World Athletics Relays in China > It was a magical meeting for Team SA at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China as the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m quartets took gold. By Craig Ray · Published 12 May 2025, 14:08 SAST · Updated 12 May 2025, 14:08 SAST ## Key points - In a dazzling display of speed and synergy, Akani Simbine and Team SA not only snagged gold in the men’s 4x100m relay with a season-best time but also shattered the South African record in the 4x400m. - Akani Simbine highlights the importance of camaraderie in relay running as Team SA secures gold in the men’s 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou. - The South African team, featuring Simbine, Walaza, Dambile, and Nkoana, clinched victory with a season-best time of 37.61 seconds, edging out the US by just 0.05 seconds. - In a remarkable follow-up, Team SA shattered the national record in the men’s 4x400m, winning gold with a time of 2:57.50, avenging last year’s defeat to Botswana. - Simbine emphasises the shift towards a relay culture in South Africa, focusing on teamwork and strategic placements over individual egos for future success. ## Content On the eve of the 2025 World Athletics Relays staged in Guangzhou, South Africa’s sprint star Akani Simbine said the skill in relay running was about “camaraderie”. And the camaraderie of Team SA was so clear over the course of the week in China that when it came to slick handovers the South African men’s relay team were among the best. Being fast is obviously important. But being able to transfer the baton as seamlessly as possible while running at top speed, surrounded by the thundering feet and arms of competitors, is equally vital. And in the men’s 4x100m relay final, against strong US, Canadian and Japanese teams, Simbine and his colleagues — Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile and Bradley Nkoana — showed both traits as they took gold in a season best 37.61 seconds. Their changes were smooth after being led out by Walaza — [the world junior 100m and 200m champion](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-16-walaza-sprints-to-historic-personal-best-building-on-2024-heroics/) — but by the last leg, Simbine was two metres behind the US’ Brandon Hicklin. That’s where speed and experience won the day. Simbine stayed calm and relaxed as he catapulted off on the final leg to haul in Hicklin and dip perfectly at the line. Team SA won by 0.05 seconds for their second World Relay gold at this discipline following their triumph [in Poland in 2021.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-05-04-world-relay-gold-for-sa-mens-quartet-builds-olympics-hope/) Simbine, Walaza and Nkoana were part of the South African team that won silver at the Paris Olympics last year. Team SA not only beat the US, but 2024 Olympic champions Canada as well as Japan, who ran 37.84sec in the semi-final in China. “Once I got the baton and I saw that the USA was in front of us, I just said to myself, ‘I need to catch the guy in front’,” Simbine said after the final. “I knew I could do it, and I just chased him. I feed from chasing, I feed from being able to chase. So it’s really great to be able to be in that position and get through it and get to the line first.” [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i20oQ0Byko0) Before the event started, Simbine explained the team’s approach, which displayed his experience and showed the level of detail the quartet go to in their preparation. “The big thing with the placing of the guys — everybody wants to be the anchor, because they feel like the anchor gets all the limelight,” Simbine said in an interview with World Athletics. “But every position works with different strengths, and every athlete has different strengths. As a coach, when you’re putting together a team, it’s putting together the guys according to their strengths and not according to egos. “You can have the fastest guys in the world at that time running, but if you don’t get the stick around, and you don’t have the guys in their best positions running, then it’s not going to work out. “It’s the camaraderie and everybody just wanting to be part of the team and starting to believe in a relay culture in South Africa. “Because before that, we didn’t have a relay culture — it was always just ‘show up and run’. Now people are actually believing in getting medals and the importance of getting medals from the World Championships or from the Olympics, and making it a priority. That’s a big thing for us now.” #### **400m success** Less than half an hour after winning the men’s 4x100m, South Africa notched up another victory, this time in the men’s 4x400m, smashing the South African record in the process. Gaerdeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Zakithi Nene produced a fine run, to snatch gold. South Africa went into Sunday’s final keen to avenge the defeat they suffered at the hands of Botswana last year. Lee Bhekempilo Eppie gave Botswana an early lead on the first leg, handing over just ahead of Great Britain and NI. ![(L-R) Bayanda Walaza of Team South Africa, Akani Simbine of Team South Africa, Sinesipho Dambile of Team South Africa and Bradley Nkoana of Team South Africa pose for a photo after the Men's 4x100 Metres Relay during day one of the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 at Guangdong Olympic Stadium on May 10, 2025 in Guangzhou, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for World Athletics)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/mf2HLjIrxwQRuigcYuH-mA9Ht5Q=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214354074.jpg) *(Left to right) Bayanda Walaza, Akani Simbine, Sinesipho Dambile and Bradley Nkoana of Team South Africa celebrate winning the men's 4x100m relay. (Photo: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images for World Athletics)* ![Bronze medalists Shirley Nekhubui of Team South Africa, Miranda Charlene Coetzee of Team South Africa, Precious Molepo of Team South Africa and Zeney Van Der Walt of Team South Africa pose for a photo after the Women's 4x400 Metres Relay Final during day two of the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 on May 11, 2025 in Guangzhou, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for World Athletics)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/UNhsUQ1urayXLtPtLQgRW6ZLSLM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214519773.jpg) *Bronze medalists Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Charlene Coetzee, Precious Molepo and Zeney van der Walt of Team South Africa after the Women's 4x400m relay final during day two in Guangzhou, China. (Photo: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images for World Athletics)* ![Zeney Van Der Walt of Team South Africa approaches the finish line in the 4x400 Metres Relay Mixed during day one of the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 at Guangdong Olympic Stadium on May 10, 2025 in Guangzhou, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for World Athletics)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/jXYDNJqDBF9PPLJv9gdfCr2jw_o=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214446466.jpg) *Zeney van der Walt of Team South Africa approaches the finish line in the 4x400m relay mixed during day one of the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 at Guangdong Olympic Stadium on 10 May. (Photo: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images for World Athletics)* ![Gold medalists Bayanda Walaza of Team South Africa, Sinesipho Dambile of Team South Africa, Bradley Nkoana of Team South Africa and Akani Simbine of Team South Africa celebrate after the Men's 4x100 Metres Relay Final during day two of the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 on May 11, 2025 in Guangzhou, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for World Athletics)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/neeXuiSfkrDWVEBgQmXQOmXGPjA=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214525785.jpg) *Gold medalists Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine of Team South Africa celebrate winning the men's 4x100m relay final. (Photo: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images for World Athletics)* By the halfway point, Botswana continued to lead but South Africa was close behind in second, thanks to a 44.24 leg from Okon. Koekemoer maintained South Africa’s pace on the third leg with an almost identical 44.23, which carried them into the lead towards the end of that stage with Botswana close behind. Nene then pulled clear on the last leg for South Africa and powered through the line in 2:57.50, smashing the national record they set when finishing fifth in the Olympic final last year. Behind him, 2024 world indoor champion Alexander Doom had navigated his way through the field with a late charge, taking second place in 2:58.19 while Botswana held on for third in 2:58.27. #### **Qualifying** The two-day event also served as qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in August. For the first time, the relays included a mixed 4x100m relay, which will also be included in the World Championships later this year. “It was great to be part of a team that brought an Olympic medal to South Africa,” Simbine said. “But also, for me to see the next generation of South African sprinters coming through, and be a spearhead and a motivator for that. “The mixed (relay) is a good idea. It brings a different taste to athletics. Now, it is not just about having the fastest men or the fastest women, it is about having the fastest team. I am going to be watching and supporting, to see how it works out.” Team SA’s men’s 4x100m and 4x400m qualified for the World Championships while the women’s 4x400m also qualified after a superb bronze medal in the final. Team SA consisting of Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Coetzee, Precious Molepo and Zeney Geldenhuis, ran a national record time of 3:24.84, finishing just behind the USA and surprise gold medallists Spain.**DM** #### **Results** #### **Men’s 4x100m** 1. South Africa — 37.61 2. United States — 37.66 3. Canada — 38.11 #### **Men’s 4x400m** 1. South Africa — 2:57.50 2. Belgium — 2:58.19 3. Botswana — 2:58.27 #### **Women’s 4x400m** 1. Spain — 3:24.13 2. United States — 3:24.72 3. South Africa — 3:24.84