Team SA concludes successful World Youth Champs with a silver medal

Over the five-day event, South African athletes secured a total of seven medals.

Bayanda Walaza achieved a sprint double, winning gold in both the 100m and 200m, while Udeme Okon clinched gold in the 400m.

JL Van Rensburg and the 4x400m relay team both earned silver medals, and Bradley Nkoana and Hannah Van Niekerk each secured silver in the 100m and 400m hurdles, respectively.

 With such promising performances in Lima, the future of athletics in South Africa looks very bright.

South Africa clinched sixth place on the medal table, with Van Niekerk achieving a personal best of 56.98 seconds in the hurdles final, making her the sole female athlete to contribute to the country’s seven medals.

 In the early hours of Sunday, the 4x400m relay team secured the silver medal with a time of 3:05:22.

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In the 4x400m relay, Bryan Katoo, Sihle Mahlangu, Njabulo Mbatha, and Okon delivered standout performances for South Africa, securing a notable finish just behind the USA, who clocked 3:03:56. Australia earned the bronze with a time of 3:05:53.

“We are incredibly proud of our relay team; it’s a true team effort, and I’m glad we all contributed to each other’s success,” said Katoo.

Mahlangu added, “I’m so proud of what we achieved. We had some shaky moments, but we trusted in God and ourselves, and we ended up with a silver medal. Although our goal was gold, we’re still proud of our achievement and hope this performance can pave the way for us to compete on the Olympic stage one day.”

Mbatha expressed, “I feel honored and privileged to represent my country and contribute to our medal success on such a significant stage. Honestly, the silver medal helped make up for my fifth place in the 400m hurdles final.”

Okon, who won gold in the 400m final and added a silver in the relay, was ecstatic about the team’s performance. “I’m happy with our performance and thrilled with the silver medal. We came here and gave our best, and that’s what matters,” Okon said.