South Africa Endures Mixed Fortunes on Day 3 at World Athletics Championships

Tokyo, Japan – Day 3 Recap

Team South Africa continued its campaign at the 2025 World Athletics Championships with another day of determined performances in Tokyo. While medal opportunities proved elusive on Day 3, there were important signs of progress, as well as hard lessons, across a packed schedule of marathon miles, hurdles, and field events.

Morning Session: Marathon Effort and Hurdles Hope

The day began with the men’s marathon, where seasoned campaigner Elroy Gelant produced a gritty run through the humid streets of Tokyo. Gelant crossed the line in 33rd place with a time of 2:16:32, as Tanzania’s Alphonse Simbu claimed gold in 2:09:48.

In the field, Miré Reinstorf endured a difficult outing in the women’s pole vault qualification. The former world junior champion could not clear her opening height, recording a no-mark result and bowing out of contention for the final.

On the track, the women’s 400m hurdles heats brought mixed results. Rogail Joseph ran 56.20 in Heat 1 to place seventh, while Zenéy van der Walt impressed in Heat 5, clocking 55.32 seconds to finish fourth and secure her place in Wednesday’s semifinals.

Evening Session: Fighting but Falling Short

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Sabelo Dhlamini gave his all in Heat 5 but finished fifth in 49.50 seconds, narrowly missing a semifinal berth where only the top four advanced.

The men’s long jump qualification saw Cheswill Johnson record 7.55m in Group B. While solid, the mark left him 14th in his group, outside the overall top 12 required for the final.

The men’s 110m hurdles presented another stern test, with three South Africans lining up. John Adesola (13.57), Mondray Barnard (13.57), and Antonio Alkana (13.64) all finished outside the qualifying places in their respective heats, bringing a frustrating close to this event for the squad.

Hopes were high in the women’s 100m hurdles semifinals with Marione Fourie carrying the flag. However, the national record holder hit difficulty over the closing stages and was later disqualified for a technical infringement, ending her campaign in heartbreaking fashion.

There was late consolation for Team SA in the men’s 1500m semifinals, where Tshepo Tshite once again showed his championship mettle. Running a composed race in Heat 3, he clocked 3:36.93 to book his place in the final—a significant boost for South Africa’s medal prospects later in the week.

Looking Ahead: Day 4 Opportunities

Day 4 will see South Africa return in the evening session, with the men’s 400m semifinals headlining the action. Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay will line up in separate heats, both aiming to secure places in the championship final. With Tshite advancing in the 1500m and Van der Walt alive in the 400m hurdles, South Africa’s hopes of reaching the medal stages remain firmly alive.