Too much reliance on sprinters will collapse SA athletics - Werner Prinsloo

Prinsloo contends that athletes such as Akani Simbine and Wayde Van Niekerk are consistently under immense pressure to deliver medal-winning performances at prestigious events like the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

This demanding expectation places an undue burden on these athletes, which Prinsloo believes is unfair.

Simbine faced disqualification due to a false start during the men’s 100m semi-final, whereas Van Niekerk’s performance saw him finishing in the last position during the men’s 400m final at the recently concluded World Senior Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

It’s noteworthy that none of the athletes in the field or long-distance managed to secure a spot in the final, despite a contingent of 36 athletes representing the team.

During an exclusive interview with SABC Sport, Prinsloo raised a pertinent question: “Where are the field event athletes?” he further emphasized the need to reconsider the team size, stating “Why bring only 35 athletes when we could have had 50? We should aim for a larger contingent at the Olympic Games and World Championships. Historically, we’ve placed an excessive burden on our sprinters, and that has placed undue pressure on them,” Prinsloo shared.  

South Africa has a rich history of winning medals in various athletics disciplines. In the past, the nation celebrated successes in middle-distance running, exemplified by the late Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Hazekiel Sepeng, and Caster Semenya in the 800m and 1 500m events. Additionally, the long jump talent of Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai shone brightly in the sandpit, while Sunette Viljoen made significant contributions to the javelin event. These accomplishments have led Prinsloo to advocate for a return to the fundamentals, emphasizing the importance of nurturing athletes who can excel and bring home medals across a wide range of events, beyond the sprinters. 

“The team lacks depth, with no representative in discus or shotput events worthy of winning a medal, and notable absence in high jump and pole vault at the recent World Championships. The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) is banking on athletics to deliver medals in the Paris 2024 Games, but there is a crucial need to address the fundamentals first. We’re currently missing middle-distance runners, a category in which we had the potential to secure one or two medals,” Prinsloo revealed during an interview with the national broadcaster.