Team SA men’s 4x100m relay team handed lifeline after collision at world championships

South Africa’s men’s 4x100m relay team were handed a lifeline at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Saturday after failing to finish their heat due to a collision with Italy during a baton change.

Following a successful appeal, the referee granted the quartet an additional chance to qualify for the final in a solo time trial scheduled for the early hours of Sunday morning SA time. If they clock 38.34 seconds or faster, Shaun Maswanganyi, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine will secure the ninth lane in the final later in the day.

The line-up and running order must remain the same as in the original race. The decision does not affect the eight teams that have already qualified.

Meanwhile, there was no drama for the men’s 4x400m team. Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Lythe Pillay won their heat convincingly in 2:58.81 to book an automatic place in Sunday’s final.

The women’s 4x400m relay team, however, fell short. Shirley Nekhubui, Marlie Viljoen, Hannah van Niekerk and Zeney van der Walt finished seventh in their heat in 3:28.14 and were eliminated.

There was mixed emotion for Jo-Ane du Plessis, who delivered the best South African performance of the championships so far with a fourth-place finish in the women’s javelin final.

She produced a throw of 63.06m in the second round, but missed out on a medal as Ecuador’s Juleisy Angulo struck gold with a national record of 65.12m. Latvia’s Anete Sietina (64.64m) and Australia’s Mackenzie Little (63.58m) claimed silver and bronze.

“I think fourth is the worst position to finish in. It’s so close to a medal and it could have been one, so I’m of course disappointed,” Du Plessis admitted. “But last night (in qualifying) I wasn’t sure if I would make the final, so ending up fourth in the world is fantastic in the circumstances. My goal was to be in the top five and I’m very happy.”

Elsewhere, Wayne Snyman finished 43rd in the men’s 20km walk in 1:30:12, in a race won by Brazil’s Ciao Bonfim in 1:18:35.

Victor Hogan ended 24th in the men’s discus (61.51m) and did not reach the final, while Mine de Klerk (24th, 17.39m), Ashley Erasmus (30th, 16.90m) and Colette Uys (32nd, 16.68m) all exited in the first round of the women’s shot put.

“The relays are now our next best chance of earning a medal at this mega championship,” said Athletics South Africa president James Moloi, who welcomed the referee’s ruling.

“Running alone has a good and bad side to it, but we remain positive that we will achieve a qualifier into the final. We look forward to the fight of our lives on Sunday.”

Schedule of SA athletes competing on Day 9 (SA time)

3.33am: 4x100m relay men, rerun
1.25pm: 4x400m relay men, final
2.20pm: 4x100m relay men, final.