Last chance for athletes to qualify for Olympic Games at the African champs in Cameroon

With just eight days left before the Olympic qualifying periods ends, Athletics South Africa sent a contingent of 66 athletes to the championships in West Africa.

Notable athletes such as Tshepang Makhethe (hammer throw}, Kyle Blignaut (shotput), Zinzi Xulu (triple jump), Cheswell Johnson (long jump), and Shirley Nekhubui (200m), among others have a chance to secure their spots this weekend. The event began on Friday and concludes on Wednesday, 26 June.   

Kyle Blignaut – shotput

The national shot putter title holder relocated to Italy at the beginning of the year after losing his long-term coach, Pierre Blignaut, in December 2023.

To secure his place at his second Olympic Games, he needs to throw 21.40m. His goal is to qualify, make it to the final, and win a medal, which he plans to dedicate to his late coach.

Despite his struggles, he has one final opportunity to book his place in Cameroon, either through automatic qualification or the points ranking system. He is determined to qualify outright and be competitive in the Olympics.

With a potential to throw close to 22m, he stands a good chance of qualifying. He had worked with his coach for 15 years.

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Cheswell Johnson – long jump

South Africa’s long jump performance has been on the decline since its peak in 2016 and 2017, when it produced Olympic silver medallist and world champion Luvo Manyonga.

Johnson, national champion, needs to jump 8.27 metres to secure his spot for Paris.

The athlete from the Central Gauteng Athletics faced challenges at the national championships in Pietermaritzburg in April, where Johnson managed a disappointing jump of 7.46m, placing him eighth.

Despite this setback, the 26-year-old remains confident he can achieve the required distance. His best jump this year is 8.22m at the national championships   8.07m at a league meeting, but he acknowledges the work needed to reach 8.27m. Johnson is aiming for that jump and the African title.  

Shirley Nekhubui – 200m

Nekhubui will compete in three events; the 200m, 400m, and 4x400m mixed relay. She recently participated in the 4x400m mixed relay at the world championships in the Bahamas. This year has been busy for her, as she also represented her country at the All Africa Games in Ghana in March.

Despite winning gold in the 200m and 400m events at the national championships in April, she has yet to reach the qualifying mark of 22.57 seconds in the 200m and 50.95 seconds in the 400m. This weekend could be her chance to achieve those times.  

Zinzi Xulu – Triple jump

Fresh off setting a new national triple jump record with a personal best of 14.05 at the recent Athletics Gauteng North event, Xulu surpassed her previous national record of 12.95m, which she set in 2020.

Despite falling short of 14.55m Olympic qualifying standard, the 27-year-old athlete’s performance has boosted her confidence and given her hope for success in Cameroon.

She narrowly missed the Olympic qualifying mark by 3 centimetres for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Tshepang Makhethe – Hammer throw

Tshepang Makhethe is still striving to qualify for his first Olympic Games, needing a throw of 77.80m to achieve this goal.

This year, his best throw has been 69.54m, which earned him a silver medal at the national championships in April.

With a personal best of 72.25m, Makhethe needs to push harder to reach the qualifying mark.

Previously, he secured a silver at the African championships in Mauritius, and this time, he aims to surpass that achievement and clinch the Olympic qualification.