ASA mean business by naming Wayde and Caster in relay teams

JOHANNESBURG: Athletics South Africa yesterday unveiled a potent 33-member provisional relay preparation squad brimming with potential and an eye on the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas, and the World Championships in London in August.

The country’s top sprinting talent, including Olympic gold medalists Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya, have been named in the squad that will be looking to qualify men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.

The World Relays will also include 4x200m, 4x400m and 4x800m relays, but ASA did not mention whether it had plans to enter teams in those events.

SA could field competitive teams in these disciplines that would stand realistic chances of bagging medals in the Bahamas.

SA boasts some outstanding talent over the 100m sprint, spearheaded by national record holder Akani Simbine and world 400m record holder Van Niekerk.

Add national 100m champion Henricho Bruintjies and SA 200m record holder Anaso Jobodwana, and you have prospective medalists.

SA can field an even more potent men’s 4x200m relay team that could include Van Niekerk, Jobodwana, Simbine and the two juniors who featured at the Rio Olympics, Gift Leotlela and Clarence Munyai.

This would all of course be dependent on whether SA qualify teams for the global showpiece and if the athletes were available to participate.

ASA had earmarked the One-Hour Elite Meetings to qualify teams for the Bahamas showpiece, while it also planned two local training camps.

Should ASA succeed in its plans to send teams to the World Relays, the country’s top sprinting talent will not be racing at the SA Senior Track and Field Championships in Potchefstroom, which are scheduled on the same weekend in April.