The caterpillar who became a butterfly Salute to Mama Winnie Bulls and Gelant rain on Sharks’ parade
Simbine beats Blake again, but SA’s relay sprinters have to settle for the silver
in Gold Coast
● Even with a slight head start, Yohan Blake couldn’t beat Akani Simbine.
The Jamaican, the planet’s second-fastest man with a 9.69sec 100m best, was unable to hold off the Simbine rocket on the final leg of the 4 x 100m relay at the Commonwealth Games yesterday.
South Africa’s 100m Games champion was in fourth spot when he received the baton from Anaso Jobodwana, and he immediately set about hunting down the trio in front of him.
Blake attacked first and Simbine went with him as they overhauled the secondplaced Aussie, Josh Clarke, in the lane between them.
And the South African express train just kept moving, sailing past Blake and closing the gap on England’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who was ultimately saved by the finish line.
During the victory lap afterwards the English anchor bounced up to the South African quartet — also starring Games 100m silver medallist Henricho Bruintjies and Emile Erasmus — slapped them on the back and then teased Simbine: “I had you, man, I had you.”
A smiling Simbine retorted: “No, I nearly had you.”
All he could think about on the track was catching the sprinters in front of him. I remember seeing Blake coming up and I was like ‘no ways he’s going to get me this time’.
“I moved and I was getting closer to Harry from England and I was just ‘give me 10 metres more, 10 metres more’, and that 10 metres didn’t come . . . I knew I could finish strong, I didn’t know I could finish that strong. I actually surprised myself.”
England won in 38.13sec and South Africa came second in a 38.24 national record, breaking the 38.35 mark that Simbine and Bruintjies had contributed to at the last Games. It’s the first time in 20 years that Jamaica, victors at the last two Games (Delhi and Glasgow), hasn’t finished in the top two. This was the first time in four years that South Africa completed this relay at this level.
The handovers could have been slicker, and imagine when they’re at full strength, with Wayde van Niekerk, Clarence Munyai and Thando Roto in the mix.
“If we can get a few more [practice] sessions we can be unbeatable,” said Bruintjies.
Forget about the Springboks, the Proteas and Bafana, the men’s 4 x 100m relay could be the premier team of South African sport — if Athletics SA can get it right.
The federation dreamed up oddball selection criteria that excluded several athletes from Gold Coast, including Dominique Scott, whose 5 000m personal best would have earned bronze yesterday.
There was only one other gong for South Africa on the day, for Paarl-born cyclist Clint Hendricks, the 2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour champion who won a tight sprint for the line to clinch bronze in the men’s road race.
That was the 37th medal for Team SA, who need the Blitzboks to retain their title from four years ago if they are to fend off New Zealand in the battle for fifth spot on the table.
South Africa notched 121 points against Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Scotland while conceding only a single try. They were scheduled to take on Olympic champions Fiji in the one semifinal this morning (4.05am SA time), with the Kiwis facing England in the other.
The Games, which close today, will move to Birmingham for 2022. It should have been Durban, a showpiece that was going to unlock investment in local age-group sport.
So nothing special is being planned for the next four years, just business as usual.
In terms of medals, South Africa has held firm from 2014, looking good to improve on its seventh place on the table, even if it doesn't quite match the overall tally of 40.
Below the bling, however, there has been some notable deterioration. In hockey the women slipped from fourth to sixth, and the men crashed from fifth to 10th.
Could it be the result of being excluded from competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee? Or is there another reason?
Will anyone even bother to find out?