Team South Africa’s athletics squad received a warm hero’s welcome at OR Tambo International Airport on their return from the World Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China.
Team SA touchdown on home soil after World Relay Championships glory
Families, supporters, and officials gathered to celebrate the athletes who made history with their medal-winning performances.
The South African team brought home three medals—two golds and one bronze—and secured qualification for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo across all four relay events.
There was singing, cheering, and ululations as the athletes walked through the arrivals hall.
SASCOC President Barry Hendricks praised the team’s hard work:
“This is a proud moment. It shows what happens when we support our athletes consistently and believe in their talent.”
In the Men’s 4x100m relay, Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana, and Akani Simbine ran the fastest time of the year—37.61 seconds—to beat favourites the United States by just 0.05 seconds.
This was the first time any African country has won gold in this event, making it a historic victory.
In the Men’s 4x400m relay, Gaerdeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer, and Zakithi Nene finished with a time of 2:57.50, claiming South Africa’s second gold and confirming the team’s status as global competitors.
The Women’s 4x400m relay team of Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Coetzee, Precious Melepo, and Zeney van der Walt added to the medal tally with a bronze. Their strong run also broke the national record, showing the growing strength of South Africa’s women’s relay athletes.
With Olympic and World Championship qualifications in hand, Team SA’s relay squads now look ahead to Tokyo 2025 and future podium finishes.
For now, they’re being celebrated as national heroes—and their performances have given South Africans a reason to believe in sport again.
