Rhine-Ruhr, Germany – July 27, 2025
South Africa’s men’s 4x100m relay team of Bayanda Walaza, Retshidisitswe Mlenga, Kyle Zinn and Mthi Mthimkulu brought the curtain down on the nation’s campaign at the 2025 FISU World University Games with a silver medal in the final event of the competition, adding a 19th and final medal to the team’s tally.
Lining up in lane six, with rivals Korea in lane seven, South Africa entered the final as one of the top contenders for a podium finish. The team delivered a strong overall performance, but a slight delay during the final baton exchange proved decisive in what was an otherwise evenly matched contest.
Throughout the first three handovers, South Africa and Korea remained virtually neck-and-neck, showcasing excellent sprinting and coordination. However, on the final changeover, South Africa’s outgoing runner hesitated slightly during the first handoff attempt, giving Korea just enough of an edge to surge ahead in the final straight.
Korea held on to win gold, while India claimed bronze, as all three teams recorded season-best times in a thrilling finish to the athletics programme.
Despite the narrow margin, the silver medal reflects the team’s overall consistency and competitiveness at the Games. The result also marked a third medal for Bayanda Walaza, following his golds in the 100m and 200m sprints, capping off an exceptional individual campaign. For Mthimkulu, it was a second silver medal, having also been part of the team that finished second in the Mixed 4x400m Relay Final earlier in the week.
South Africa concludes the 2025 Games with a total of 19 medals:
- 🥇 6 Gold
- 🥈 5 Silver
- 🥉 8 Bronze
This places Team South Africa 7th on the overall medal standings, behind the USA, Japan, China, and others. Although the USA led with 84 total medals, Japan and China ranked higher due to their superior gold medal counts (79 and 74 medals respectively).
With the World Athletics Championships on the horizon later this year in Japan, Walaza and several other South African athletes will now shift focus to the senior internation athletics stage, aiming to carry the momentum from a strong University Games showing into the next phase of their 2025 season.
For More South African Sports News: Sport South Africa Home Page
For More South African World University Games News:
South Africa Claims Silver in Mixed 4x400m Relay at World University Games
Mondray Barnard Secures Bronze in Thrilling 110m Hurdles Final at World University Games
