Form 200m sprinter Sinesipho Dambile is out of the South African men’s team for World Relays in Gaborone this weekend, leaving the defending 4x100m champions with a massive hole on the back straight.
Dambile, who clocked a 19.77 in Nairobi last Friday, pulled out because of an injury, team management confirmed on Wednesday night.
The team flies to Botswana on Thursday morning.
Akani Simbine, who anchored the team to gold at the World Relays in China last year, caused a scare at his meet in Pretoria on Tuesday night when he slowed down in the 100m final. He confirmed on Wednesday it was cramp and he was ready for the global team competition.
But with Dambile pulling out, SA will be hard-pressed to replace his raw speed, which would have been vital in the second leg down the back straight. He was part of the team that won gold a year ago, with Bayanda Walaza in the first leg and Bradley Nkoana in the third.
Walaza, Dambile’s training partner, is also injured, but in-form Cheswill Johnson is a more than adequate stand-in for that leg.
One of the major threats at the World Relays will be the Canadian outfit that is sporting the same foursome that won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 and silver at the 2025 world championships
Finding a replacement for Dambile could be a stretch, though that is what pundits thought when Benji Richardson was injured at the Paris 2024 Olympics ahead of the relay.
Shaun Maswanganyi took over the second leg with Walaza moving into the team for the start and they won silver.
Who will take Dambile’s place remains to be seen.
One of the major threats at the World Relays will be the Canadian outfit that is sporting the same foursome that won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 and silver at the 2025 world championships.
The women’s 4x400m team, which ended third last year, is also below full strength with Zeney Geldenhuys and Miranda Coetzee injured and Shirley Nekhubui taking time off for personal reasons.
The South African men’s 4x400m team, also looking to defend their World Relays crown, is without Wayde van Niekerk, who was part of the crew that claimed bronze at the world championships in Tokyo last year.
Otherwise everyone else is fit, and while Udeme Okon hasn’t been in great form this season so far, Zakithi Nene, Lythe Pillay and Leendert Koekemoer have been under 45 seconds while Mthi Mthimkulu has been 45.17.
The full squad is:
- Men’s 4x100m: Cheswill Johnson, Mvuyo Moss, Retshidisitswe Mlenga, Bradley Nkoana, Akani Simbine, Tsebo Matsoso.
- Men’s 4x400m: Zakithi Nene, Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Gardeo Isaacs, Leendert Koekemoer, Bradley Maponyane.
- Women’s 4x400m: Tumi Ramokgopa, Marlie Viljoen, Christi Loggenberg, Hannah van Niekerk, Jada van Staden, Isabella Gunter.
- Mixed 4x400m: Mia de Beer, Rogail Joseph, Precious Molepo, Mthi Mthimkulu, Daniel Briel, Antonie Nortje.
- Women’s 4x100m: Viwe Jingqi, Joviale Mbisha, Gabriella Marais, Rume Burger, Kayla la Grange.
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