Sinesipho Dambile had to settle for eighth spot in a lightning 200m final at the world championships in Tokyo on Friday, with American Noah Lyles taking the win in 19.52 sec.
The South African, running in lane 2, didn’t have the firepower of the contenders at the front end of a fierce tussle, with four of them shoulder-to-shoulder storming into the home straight.
Lyles secured the win over the final 10 metres or so for his fourth straight world 200m crown, finishing ahead of countryman Kenneth Bednarek in a 19.58 season’s best and Jamaican Bryan Levell in a 19.64 personal best.
Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana ended fourth in a 19.65 season’s best and Briton Zharnel Hughes was fifth in a 19.78 season’s best.
Dambile, who clocked a 19.97 personal best to make the final, crossed the line in 20.23. But for a sprinter who has struggled with injuries for the past three or so seasons, he was happy.
“It’s been a long time coming ... This year I came with a different mindset — I was more mature and I was stronger. The goal was to make sure I’m in the final and in the top five.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t in the top five — I ran a bad race — next time we’ll definitely fix it,” added Dambile, who is expected to run the second leg of the men’s 4x100m team in Sunday’s final.
Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ané du Plessis battled to find her rhythm in the qualifying round of the women’s javelin, but she did enough to secure a spot in Saturday’s final. The 27-year-old threw a best of 61.38m — well short of the 62.50 automatic qualifying mark — which saw her finish fifth in her group and 10th overall.
Adriana Vilagos of Serbia went the furthest with a 66.06m effort, followed by Australian Mackenzie Little, who hit 65.54. They were the only two on the day to go further than the 64.22m personal best Du Plessis threw at the Paris Games last year, when she surpassed the 62m automatic qualifying mark on her first attempt.
Then a total of eight achieved the automatic standard, with the South African ranked fourth, but this time only achieved the automatic standard.
“I think my rhythm was not as it should be,” Du Plessis said. “I think I was a little bit too far and then I was too close and then I was not separating.
“I think just being in charge of my rhythm and doing that well we’ll be able to hopefully fix it tomorrow,” she said, adding she had felt good during warm-ups.
“I would just reset my mind and put it behind me,” added Du Plessis, who went over 60m twice. “It was still two 60s, but still it’s not what I’m capable of.”
The big casualty was Japan’s Olympic and defending world champion Haruka Kitaguchi, unable to get into the top 12, missing out by 60cm. Even Elina Tzengko of Greece, who has dominated this season, failed to find her form, qualifying in 11th position.
Du Plessis admitted that the Olympic medal from 2024 had people expecting more of the same, but she didn’t mind.
“There is, I think, a lot of expectations from back home — you know, the hope is on my shoulders now,” she said with a laugh.
“I think it’s a bit more pressure, but I’m enjoying it. Pressure’s a privilege.”
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