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The South African trio of Luxolo Adams, Shaun Maswanganyi and Sinesipho Dambile gained automatic qualification to the 200m semifinals at the World Athletics Championships that are under way in Budapest.
Despite the sweltering day, Wednesday was a good day on the track for Mzansi after middle-distance prospect Prudence Sekgodiso paved the way in the Hungarian capital with her own qualification in the women’s 800m semifinals.
The 21-year-old finished second in her heat in 1:59.72, behind Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain to book a ticket to the semis that take place on Friday night.
FROM THE MIXED ZONE
— Tromps Mothowagae ?????? (@DanieMothowagae) August 23, 2023
???Sekgodiso on booking a spot in the 800m semi-final:
"I am like them; why must I fear them? I went with the flow..." ??????
????Sekgodiso also made the semis in her senior debut at 2022 #WorldAthleticsChampionships in Oregon, US
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At the other end of the newly constructed National Athletics Centre, javelin thrower Jo-Ane van Dyk also hit the target to reach the final with her best throw of 60.09m.
In the other field events involving South Africans, long jumper Cheswill Johnson (25) and pole vaulter Kyle Rademeyer (21) fell short of their targets in their respective competitions.
Johnson’s best jump of 7.61m did not make the cut for the final, while Rademeyer’s mark of 5.70m was short by 5cm to make the cut.
Meanwhile, the men’s 200m is going to be a highly contested affair with all three podium finishers from the 100m final on Monday – gold medallist Noah Lyles, runner-up Letsile Tebogo and Zharnel Hughes - also having advanced to the semifinals.
The champions' take on the semis
Luxolo Adams
Maswanganyi:
Maswanganyi’s personal best is 19.99 seconds, which he attained during a collegiate meeting in Texas, US, in June.
Dambile:
“[Having three South Africans in the semifinals] that’s big. We just have to make it to the final. We spoke with Lux that he’s gonna open [the way] for me – I felt like the last born because I was in the last heat [in the order of South Africans]. I told him, I’ll make it through, and I did.”
The entry requirement for a spot in the final is a top-two finish or qualifying as one of the two fastest times across the three heats.
Adams will again start in the first heat where he’ll be in the same field as newly crowned US 100m champion Lyles.
Dambile will follow in the same heat as Tebogo, who won the 100m silver at the weekend.
Maswanganyi will have Hughes in the last heat of the evening.
The final is set for Friday.
Johnson said: “I had a very bad day considering that I was in the best shape I felt I was the entire year. There is no excuse; I didn’t do anything right.”
The South African champion recorded a no-jump in his second attempt and bowed out with a disappointing mark of 6.24m in his last attempt.
