Adriaan Wildschutt returned to Paris on Friday night for his first race there since making his Olympic debut last year.
Adriaan Wildschutt places 14th in 5,000m race
Although he had planned to use the Paris Diamond League meet as preparation for the World Championships in September, the 27-year-old Olympian woke up feeling “very sick” but still chose to compete.
He completed the 5,000m in 13:28.67, far from his personal best of 12:55.02. The race was won by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in 12:47.84, a world-class time.
“I didn’t want to give up before I even tried. It turns out, not the best decision on my end. But we learn and move on. Trust me when I say, we will be back way better and stronger,” Wildschutt wrote on social media.
Despite the time, the performance under challenging conditions showcased his resilience.
Since 2023, Wildschutt has broken South African records multiple times across the 3,000m, 5,000m, and 10,000m. He is now preparing for the World Championships in Tokyo and has confirmed that he will start transitioning to road races after the 2028 Olympics.
Middle-distance runner Tshepo Tshite delivered a breakthrough performance in the 1,500m, finishing in 3:31.35. This shaved more than half a second off the previous South African record set in 2013.
It was his first outdoor national record and part of a lightning-fast race won by France’s Azeddine Habz in 3:27.49.
James Moloi, president of Athletics South Africa, congratulated Tshite:
“A national record is always an achievement to be celebrated as it becomes a new benchmark for others. We, therefore, congratulate Tshite, his coach and all of his support staff.”
While Wildschutt and Tshite represented South Africa on the Paris track, another group of young South Africans were making headlines in Croatia. South Africa’s U20 men’s water polo team edged New Zealand in a dramatic shootout at the World Championships in Zagreb.
The match was tied 15–15 after regular play, with both teams matching each other goal-for-goal through four quarters. As no extra time is played in classification matches, the game went to a penalty shootout. Team SA won the shootout 3–2, making the final score 16–15.
The team included goalkeeper Nathan Jacob, aged 19, and several key players like Connor Flinn and Karabo Mamaregane. The result positions South Africa favourably in the tournament’s final rankings.
This win formed part of a series of classification matches to determine the final team standings, with 20 countries competing across five continents.
The tournament is hosted at the SP Mladost pool in Zagreb and serves as a major development event for future Olympic and professional players.
