Simbine, Van Niekerk headline SA team for World Athletics Champs

Athletics South Africa has announced a 49-member team (32 men and 17 women) for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo, Japan, between 13-21 September.

The team features eight national record holders, including Akani Simbine (100m), Tshepo Tshite (1 500m), Adriaan Wildschutt (10 000m), Antonio Alkana (110m hurdles), Elroy Gelant (marathon), Marione Fourie (100m hurdles), Ashley Erasmus (shot put) and Jessica Groenewald (35km race walk).

Wayde van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder and the only former world outdoor champion in the team (having won the global 400m title in 2015 and 2017), will focus on the 200m event.

Though she hasn't won a world outdoor title, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso is also in the squad.

Aside from Van Niekerk, a former Olympic 400m champion, javelin thrower Jo-Ane du Plessis is the only other member of the team to have earned a medal in an individual event at the Olympic Games.

The national squad also includes four relay teams in the men's 4x100m, as well as the men's, women's and mixed 4x400m events.

The men's 4x100m team will be eager to step on the podium after securing the silver medal at last year's Olympic Games in Paris and winning gold at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou earlier this season.

The men's and women's 4x400m squads will also be confident of challenging for podium places after earning gold and bronze respectively at the World Athletics Relays.

James Moloi, President of Athletics South Africa, was optimistic in his comments: “This team reflects the dedication, resilience, and hard work of our athletes, coaches, and support staff, who have tirelessly prepared for this moment on both local and international stages. Their selection is a recognition of excellence and a call to carry the South African flag with honour and pride.

“We urge the athletes to remain focused, disciplined, and united as they take on the world’s best. Championships of this calibre demand not only physical strength but also mental resilience, and we are confident that our team will rise to the occasion.

"South Africa stands behind you, and we believe your performances will inspire the next generation of athletes and reaffirm our place among the world’s athletics nations.”