Can SA end medal drought in tokyo?

Renowed coach, athlete and sports writer, Norrie Williamson shares this report from Tokyo where the World Athletics Championship 2025 is taking place.

“With the largest group of athletes sent to a World Championships in recent years, the South African athletic fraternity are hoping that the team of over 40 athletes will break the medal drought that has haunted the sport for the past eight years. The last medal haul was in London 2017 but 2025 in Tokyo has a feel and spirit in the team that seems set to put a few onto the podium.

The first step to all of that began this morning in Tokyo with 35km walks opening the championships. The medal recipe commences with ‘making the final’ and as will be quoted by many of the 2 000 plus athletes from 200 countries, “make the final, then anything can happen!”

Olympic silver sprint medalist Akani Simbine seems one of the favorites after a resounding start to his Diamond League campaign, alongside world 400m recordholder, Wayde van Niekerk, who has opted for the 200m. The move down in distance will test his speed to the limit.

Originally the team had a full list of six in the short sprints, but yesterday Banyanda Walanza was declared unfit due to the hamstring injury sustained two weeks ago in the Diamond League final. Walanza, with his powerful ‘bobbing’ style was an exciting prospect and will need to wait another two years to take on the world.

Zakithi Nene has also made his mark around Europe and the Diamond league in the 400m this season

Prudence Sekgodosi and Jo-Ane du Plessis are leading medal potentials from the women.

The longer the distance the more strategies and tactics can play a part, and the more that quote on finals becomes true. 

In June, Sekgodiso improved her personal best to 1:57.16 which places her 9^th in world status going into the championships.  She has been on the podium a few times this season, but how the two lapper unfolds is a major factor in who proceeds to the final and who goes home early. Even the heats can be tactically torturous, but the 23 year old has gained sufficient experience that a spot in the final should be secure.

Field events are equally unpredictable and few who saw it will forget Marius Corbett’s ‘one throw wonder’ that secured the Commonwealth Gold.  Its 13 months since Jo Ane du Plessis launched out a 64.22m to secure the Olympic silver medal, but that said she has had the consistency to earn a place in the Diamond League final where she secured third place.

It is the inability to predict distance events that give at least two others opportunities worth watching.

Adriaan Wildschutt immediately strikes observers as analytical and precise in preparation.  With a 26:51.27 to his name for the longest track event he may find the Kenyan and Ethiopian challenge too great to secure a podium place but can, if the race unfolds in his favour, improve on his 9^th place ranking status to earn some of the considerable prize money on offer.

It’s a similar story for Elroy Gelant, who despite being 39 years old, set a new PB and SA Record of 2:05:36 in Hamburg in April, and has significant experience of competing in the sort of hot and humid weather currently hanging over Tokyo.

In current conditions Monday’s marathon will not be about the time, but more about survival in adverse conditions. It was a similar situation on Qatar which saw Stephen Mokoka take 5^th place in the marathon in 2:11:09.  A time around 2:09:30 can be expected for the men’s race in current conditions, which saw World Athletics bring the starting time forward by 30 minutes to 07:30 am for the walks and the marathons.

This decision was made due to the high temperatures, but ironically since that announcement reached the public there has been daily thunder showers in the city and the humidity has increased significantly.

The course commences and finishes at Japan’s iconic and historic National Stadium and combines a two-lap route with out and back start and finish legs. This will result in a fast start and the challenge of what could be a victory defining climb on the return to the stadium. We should expect a tight finish and a change to the top places over the final kilometres, but nothing is set in stone in such conditions.

It’s the potential of adverse conditions that may work for Gelant who has significant experience of hot, humid, conditions and if tactfully used can secure him a top 8 place. Top 8 in the marathon is treated as the final in other events and earns prize money from Us$5000 up to Us$70000 for Gold.

However, for most of the SA team, medals or money would be unexpected bonus, the primary goal is the possibility of an improved ranking and status against the World’s best which in turn secures the much-needed invite to compete in international meets that can results in further steps on the overall ladder to the top.

The only thing that is certain for SA athletes in the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships is that anything can happen!”