7 May 2024
The 4x400m teams from Botswana and South Africa put on a show at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas over the weekend with the African quartets claiming gold and silver respectively in Sunday night’s final.
The teams gave a taste of things to come in the heats when they battled each other down the home straight, with Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori just edging ahead of SA’s Lythe Pillay on the line (Botswana winning in 2:59.73 and SA in 2:59.76), but both sides securing their qualification spots at the Paris Olympic Games later this year.
World record holder in the 400m Wayde van Niekerk featured for the South Africans in the heats along with Gardeo Isaacs, Zakithi Nene and Pillay, but he was replaced by Antonie Nortje in the final because of a reported niggle.
Botswana, meanwhile, were represented by Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, sprint sensation Letsile Tebogo, Leungo Scotch and Ndori in the final which they won in a commanding world-leading time of 2:59.11. That victory also prevented a clean sweep of victories for the USA over the weekend.
