WeeklySA_AdminHEATS: After Zakithi Nene, Marione Fourie and Prudence Sekgodiso missed out on their respective finals, South Africa’s medal hopes at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships now rest with Akani Simbine, Gift Leotlela and Commonwealth Games champion Sinesipho Dambile…
By WSAM Sports Reporter
South Africa’s medal hopes at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest have shifted to the sprint events after the country’s first three competitors failed to advance beyond their heats.
The six-member national contingent includes Zakithi Nene in the men’s 400m, Marione Fourie in the women’s 100m hurdles, Prudence Sekgodiso in the women’s 800m, Gift Leotlela and Akani Simbine in the men’s 100m, and Sinesipho Dambile in the men’s 200m.
Nene, Fourie and Sekgodiso have already completed their campaigns, leaving South Africa’s fortunes in the hands of Simbine, Leotlela and Dambile.
Nene finished seventh in his men’s 400m heat in 45.30 seconds and was unable to secure a place in the final. The result brought a disappointing end to his challenge after he arrived in Budapest as one of the country’s leading one-lap runners.
Fourie also fell short of qualification in the women’s 100m hurdles. She crossed the line sixth in her heat in 12.84 seconds, missing out on a place in the final.
In the women’s 800m, Sekgodiso finished sixth in her heat in 1 minute 59.66 seconds. Although she dipped below the two-minute barrier, it was not enough to keep her championship campaign alive.
Attention now turns to Saturday’s men’s 100m programme, where Simbine and Leotlela will carry South African expectations in the semi-finals.
Simbine, one of the country’s most experienced international athletes, will be expected to draw on his pedigree at major championships as he attempts to earn a place in the final. Leotlela will also be aiming to make his mark against a high-quality global field.
Should either South African progress, the men’s 100m final will take place later on Saturday.
However, some of the country’s biggest expectations will be placed on Dambile when he lines up in the men’s 200m semi-finals on Sunday.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games gold medallist enters the event in impressive form after emerging as the best-performing South African at the recent Diamond League final in Brussels.
Dambile finished second in the men’s 200m at that meeting, having topped the event’s points standings over the course of the Diamond League season. Those performances have strengthened hopes that he can challenge for a podium place in Budapest.
He must first negotiate Sunday’s semi-finals to secure a place in the championship decider later in the day.
With half of the South African team already eliminated, the spotlight is now firmly on the country’s three remaining sprinters. Simbine and Leotlela will be leading the charge over 100m, before Dambile attempts to convert his outstanding season into a medal over 200m.
