South Africa Names 19-Athlete Squad for World Athletics Relays in China

Posted : 01 May 2025

A team of 19 South African athletes has been selected to represent the country at the upcoming World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, scheduled for next weekend. The national contingent will participate in four relay events: the men’s 4x100m, men’s and women’s 4x400m, and the mixed 4x400m.

Leading the charge in the men’s sprint relay will be Akani Simbine, the national 100m record holder who claimed a bronze medal in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year. He will be joined by promising athletes Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana, both of whom were part of the silver medal-winning Olympic relay team, alongside national 200m champion Sinesipho Dambile, Retshidisitswe Mlenga, and Tsebo Matsoso.

In the men’s 4x400m event, the team includes national champion Zakithi Nene, world junior titleholder Udeme Okon, and former junior champion Lythe Pillay. They will race alongside Gardeo Isaacs, Tumisang Shezi, and Mthi Mthimkulu. Nene, Pillay, and Isaacs were also part of the team that won silver at last year's Relays in the Bahamas.

On the women’s side, the 4x400m squad features national champion Miranda Coetzee and hurdles specialists Zeney Geldenhuys and Hannah van Niekerk, supported by Shirley Nekhubui, Precious Molepo, and Jada van Staden.

The mixed 4x400m relay team will see Isaacs, Coetzee, and Nekhubui returning to the track, joined by Leendert Koekemoer, who recently set a new South African U20 record in the 400m with a time of 45.03 seconds at the national championships in Potchefstroom.

However, since final entries were submitted by Athletics South Africa to World Athletics on April 21, performances from the recent senior championships were not considered in the selection. The athletes will take part in a training camp from May 3 to 6 at the University of Johannesburg to prepare for the global event.

Team captains Akani Simbine and Zeney Geldenhuys will lead the men’s and women’s squads respectively. Athletics South Africa President James Moloi expressed optimism about the team's chances, noting their impressive build-up performances in 2025.

He emphasized the athletes' motivation, encouraged them to seize the opportunity, and offered his best wishes for a successful outing in China. Moloi also highlighted the team’s potential to build on the previous year’s success and bring pride to the country once again.

South Africa Names 19-Athlete Squad for World Athletics Relays in China

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