RIGA 23 witnesses impressive team South Africa
In a thrilling display of athleticism, Team South Africa captured the bronze medal at the World Athletics Road Running Championships 2023, held in the vibrant capital city of Latvia, Riga. This remarkable achievement marked a significant milestone for the South African team in a competition traditionally dominated by the Kenyan powerhouse, which has claimed the title an astonishing 16 times in the previous 24 editions.
Once again, the relentless Kenyan squad emerged victorious, with three out of their four exceptional athletes clocking sub-1-hour times. Their fourth team member narrowly missed the mark by a mere 13 seconds, demonstrating the incredible prowess of the Kenyan runners.
Sabastian Sawę leads Kenya to another half marathon sweep after a wonderful finishing straight including a salute from his compatriot Daniel Ebenyo 🤩#WorldRunningChamps pic.twitter.com/tQvcrUpmZK
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) October 1, 2023
New personal and season's best times
Team South Africa exhibited an exceptional performance with three out of their four athletes achieving personal bests or season bests. The stellar quartet representing the nation included Thabang Mosiako, Stephen Mokoka, Elroy Gelant, and Precious Mashele.
Leading the charge for South Africa was Thabang Mosiako, who delivered a sensational performance with a personal best time of 59 minutes and 52 seconds. Following closely were Stephen Mokoka, Elroy Gelant, and Precious Mashele, with blistering times of 1:00:29, 1:00:56, and 1:01:13, respectively. This remarkable collective effort secured the coveted bronze medal for the South African team, with Ethiopia claiming the silver medal just ahead.
The impressive team from South Africa
The remarkable success of the South African team comes as no surprise, given the incredible achievements and dedication of its athletes. Thabang Mosiako, who earlier this year won the SA Half Marathon in record time, clocking an impressive 1:00:29, made a significant move from North West to the Eastern Cape to focus on his training, a move that clearly paid off in Riga.
Stephen Mokoka, a formidable force in the world of marathon running, achieved the second-fastest all-time marathon time earlier this year in Osaka, Japan, clocking an astonishing 2:06:41. Notably, he also set the world record for the 50km distance last year, displaying his remarkable pace.
At 37 years old, Elroy Gelant shows no signs of slowing down, having represented South Africa in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. A former winner of the Two Oceans Half Marathon, Gelant also holds the South African 5000m track record, which he set in Holland in 2016 with a remarkable time of 13:04.88.
Precious Mashele, the current 10km road record holder, set a new record earlier this year in Gqeberha during the ABSA Run Your City race, completing the distance in just 27 minutes and 35 seconds. Mashele is also a South African Olympian, proudly representing the rainbow nation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Here's what our newly crowned bronze medalists have had to say 🗣🗣🗣#riga #bronzemedalists #Asakhe pic.twitter.com/LF5ScQIEJJ
— Athletics_SA (@AthleticsSA_) October 6, 2023
Team back on home soil
The triumphant South African team returned to a warm reception on home soil on October 3rd, where they were greeted by proud family, friends, and fans. The President of Athletics South Africa, James Moloi, was on hand to welcome the team at the arrivals gate, celebrating their remarkable achievement on the global stage.
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Niekerk and Simbine to Lead Strong South African Team at World Athletics Championships
Amazing that with those times they only got the bronze. The skill level is astonishing.