The South African men’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams won gold on Sunday, while the SA women’s 4x400m quartet earned bronze, on a memorable second and final day of competition at the World Athletics Relays championship in Guangzhou, China.
The national 4x100m quartet – Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine – secured victory in the one-lap final in 37.61 seconds.
They were just 0.04 outside the SA record of 37.57 which the national squad achieved when they earned silver at last year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The SA team held off a challenge from the United States, who settled for the silver medal in 37.66.
And the men’s 4x400m team were equally superb, with Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Zakithi Nene storming to gold in 2:57.50.
They ripped 0.62 off the SA record of 2:58.12 set by Nene, Isaacs, Lythe Pillay and Antonie Nortje when they finished fifth at the Paris Olympics.
The next best team were Belgium, who completed the four-lap race in 2:58.19 to take the second spot on the podium.
Bronze for 4x400m women
Meanwhile, in the women’s 4x400m final, the quartet of Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Coetzee, Precious Molepo and Zeney Geldenhuys clocked 3:24.84 to grab the bronze medal.
They shattered the national mark of 3:28.01 set by Nekhubui, Molepo, Geldenhuys and Hannah van Niekerk in the heats the day before.
Spain won gold in 3:24.13 and the United States earned the silver medal in 3:24.72.
The SA mixed 4x400m team – Van Niekerk, Mthi Mthimkulu, Jada van Staden and Tumisang Shezi – took fifth place in the final 3:16.29.
All four SA squads had reached the finals of their events with solid performances in the heats on Saturday, qualifying automatically for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo in September.
* Featured image of Akani Simbine by Anton Geyser
Briljant congratulations