Silver-medal South Africans relinquish world relay titles at an electric Botswana event

In Africa’s first hosting of the World Athletics Relays in the tournament’s 12-year history, hosts Botswana delivered a world-class event, topping it off by sending the home crowd into delirium with a gold medal in the 4x400m men’s final.

The quartet of Botswana’s Lee Eppie, Bayapo Ndori, Letsile Tebogo and Collen Kebinatshipi were too strong for defending 4x400m relay champions South Africa as they clinched gold in a championship record time of 2.54.47.

Despite the dogged determination of South Africa’s Zakithi Nene, Lythe Pillay, Mthi Mthimkhulu and Leendert Koekemoer, the power of the home crowd at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone was just too much. This meant the reigning champions had to settle for second spot as Botswana ascended the throne in front of a raucous crowd clad in light blue. This was despite the South Africans setting a national record with their time of 2.55.07.

The same fate befell the 100m men’s team after they had to settle for silver in their title defence. Mvuyo Moss, Cheswill Johnson, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine were edged by the US despite Simbine’s best efforts to close the gap on US anchor Pjai Austin. The South Africans eventually compiled an African record time of 37.49. The Americans were slightly faster as they crossed the finish in 37.43. Germany claimed bronze.

Absent SA stars

It was always poised to be a demanding meet for the 100m men’s side, with some of their stars from the 2025 success in China injured. These included starlet Bayanda Walaza and 200m national champion Sinesipho Dambile.

In the other three events South Africa competed in, the teams did not progress to the finals. They competed in the mixed 4x400m relay, plus the 100m and 400m women’s relays. But the mixed relay team did use their second round of the 2027 World Athletics Championships qualification to secure a spot at the global athletics event.

For their disappointing display, the women’s 4x400m can also point towards the fact that the team was mostly made up of youngsters after the withdrawal of senior figures. Team captain Zenéy Geldenhuys was out, as were Miranda Coetzee and Shirley Nekhubui.

Their replacements were rising stars Tumi Ramokgopa and fellow youngsters Isabella Gunter, Mia de Beer and Christi Loggenberg.

After initially failing to qualify for the relay showpiece, the 100m women’s team was thrust into the spotlight by being invited at the last minute due to the withdrawal of some qualified teams.

“In every team, there is always a mix of experience and young athletes. It’s the same in this case. The older guys will always step in and help the new ones, which is a good thing,” SA relay coach Werner Prinsloo said.

“We have to look beyond this tournament and towards the next couple of years, because these are the athletes that may carry us into the 2028 Olympics and beyond. So we have to have that balance between youngsters and experience,” Prinsloo said.

Historic moment for Africa

Besides the displays on the track, the event will be remembered for being the first that Africa has hosted. Botswana delivered, to once again show that they are on the rise as an athletics power in Africa, powered by the likes of Tebogo and Kebinatshipi.

“I love moments like this because, by background, I’m a historian and I like to be part of historic moments,” said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.

“The very fact that these relays are coming to Africa for the first time means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to the continent. This is a continent that has, over the last 50 years, delivered such passion and such extraordinary athletes into our sport. The history of athletics in this continent is in large part the history of world athletics in the last half century,” Coe said.

“I’m delighted that this cements some really important assets. The first is the opportunity to use this event as a way of demonstrating that Africa has come of age – it is a continent where we genuinely want to share our championships; our big explosive moments.

I also want this to be inspirational. I want it to be an inspiration for the young people sitting in that stadium that are, I hope, going to be following in the footsteps of the great athletes that we have here,” Coe said.

Botswana delivered, and the athletes in Gaborone will forever remember the cheering crowds, as well as the hospitality of the host nation. DM