Despite being hit by multiple injuries to key athletes, national relay coach Werner Prinsloo is confident the SA squad will put up a fight at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone this weekend.
At the global relays championship last year, in Guangzhou, the South African team finished top of the medals table with two gold (in the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m) and one bronze (women’s 4x400m).
In Gaborone, the country will be represented by five teams (men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x00m, and mixed 4x400m), and while they retain the core group from last season, they are without some stars.
Injured athletes missing from the squad include the likes of 400m runners Wayde van Niekerk, Zeney Geldenhuys and Miranda Coetzee, as well as shorter distance specialists Gift Leotlela, Sinesipho Dambile and Bayanda Walaza.
While national 100m record holder Akani Simbine and 400m hurdles specialist Rogail Joseph picked up niggles at the Simbine Classic meeting in Pretoria on Tuesday, it was confirmed they were fit to compete in Botswana.
‘Training is going well’
Despite experiencing a few personnel changes for their second training camp ahead of the World Relays, which was held at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Prinsloo said the new-look squad were working well together.
“There are a couple of newbies who are part of the team, so they are very excited, just getting them part of the team and making sure they feel part of it,” Prinsloo said.
“This is the first real training camp with some of the changes we’ve made from the previous training camp, so after today we’ll know for sure if everyone is 100% ready, just to get everyone in the right order in all the relays. But so far so good. Everyone’s in good spirits and the training is going well.”
Prinsloo believed they would be in the hunt once again in their attempt to retain the nation’s crown at the international relay spectacle.
“I think we’re always contenders. As long as we step on to that track we are contenders, no matter what the team looks like, and the guys have proven it over the years. They will bring it on the day, for sure,” he said.
“These training camps are good for everybody to gel, and that’s one part of it, to make sure there is cohesion in the team and then the performance will happen.”
The 2026 World Athletics Relays will be held in Gaborone on Saturday and Sunday.
