South Africa Wins Men's 4x100m at World Relays

South Africa

Team South Africa on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the men’s 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays event in Silesia, Poland.

Akani Simbine led South Africa's 4x100m quartet to a dramatic victory.

Simbine, a sub-10 second 100m runner, took over the baton three metres down on Brazil's Paulo Andre Camilo de Oliveira but snatched victory on the line by a hundredth of a second in a time of 38.71sec.

The South African national mixed 4x400m team - Ranti Dikgale, Simon Khuzwayo, Deline Mpiti (woman) and Taylon Bieldt (woman) - were sixth in their heat in 3:19.18 on Saturday's opening day of competition and therefore did not qualify for a place in the final.

Meanwhile, Italy, Cuba and the Netherlands took gold at the 4 x 400 metres Relay event. Italy won the mixed 4 x 400 metres Relay event, and the woman's 4 x 100 metres event, while Cuba won the women's and the Netherlands won the men's.

Poland won the women's 4 x 200 metres event, as Germany won the men's 4 x 200 metres event. The first eight finishers in the 4x100m, 4x400m and mixed 4x400m events automatically qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Reigning Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk fails to reach 400m final

South Africa's Rio 2016 gold medallist and world record holder faded into fifth behind world champion Steven Gardiner.

Rio 2016 gold medallist Wayde van Niekerk failed to reach the final of the 400m at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Monday (2 August).

The South African, who set a world record of 43.03 in taking victory five years ago, has struggled with a succession of injuries since tearing his anterior cruciate knee ligament in October 2017.

The 29-year-old has struggled for form and recently moved to Florida to train.

In the third semi-final of the 400m, van Niekerk was in contention on the home turn, but faded into a distant fourth place behind reigning world champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, and USA's Michael Norman.

Van Niekerk's predecessor as Olympic champion, Grenada's Kirani James, was the fastest qualifier with a time of 43.88 seconds.