Ryan Mpahlele ran the first leg in the Mixed Relay
When the gun went , he went out hard , with Kenya ’ s Emmanuel Wanyoni , and they flew around the course , entering the changeover almost together , but with the South African actually first to hand over to Prudence Sekgodiso , who in 2022 enjoyed her breakthrough year . She also likes to run aggressively and went out hard – possibly a bit too hard , but with this being her first international cross country experience , she will have learnt a lot from this . She was closed down by Kenyan Mirriam Chebet , then fast-charging Australian Jessica Hull also passed a tiring Sekogodiso in the final 500m to put Australia into second , followed by Ethiopia ’ s Hawi Abera also just going past the South African .
At the third changeover , the gap between third and fourth was just one second . Tshepo Tshiete was able to reverse the roles during the third leg , putting SA ahead of Ethiopia and back in the bronze medal position at the start of the final leg , when he handed over to Caster Semenya . Unfortunately , the multiple World and Olympic 800m champion laboured in the brutal conditions of Bathurst as the temperature hit 36 degrees and the dust swirled . Semenya lost 30 seconds on the Ethiopians in that final lap , as Ethiopia passed Australia to move into second position , while the home team had to settle for bronze and the South Africans just missed out .
Valuable Experience
There are some major lessons to be learnt from this World Champs . Firstly : Preparation is key . A quick glance at the internet would have told you what the weather conditions in Bathurst would likely be – brutally hot – so ASA apparently got it right by holding the SA Champs in September in hot conditions , and the SA Trials in February were also run in very hot conditions . However , the hilly course for the Worlds had been known for months , so it begs the question why the SA Champs were run on a flat course , followed by trials in December on another flat course ? then cross country races in similar conditions to those expected in Australia were held . And it showed in the great results of these African countries , with Kenya , Ethiopia and Uganda claiming all the individual podium positions in the four men ’ s and women ’ s races , and taking 12 of the 15 team medals as well , only missing out on three team bronze medals .
Overcoming Hurdles
Granted , ASA has financial challenges , and sending the team to Australia would have cost a pretty penny . Remember , they needed to book flights to Perth , then on to Sydney , and the exchange rate is not in our favour . That is why a sponsor was needed that could at least have put some money into the team preparation , allowing ASA to get a squad together and have them train at a venue that offers a course similar to what can be expected . And this is the crux : Our athletes could have done better , possibly medalled , with the right support . That is why , on their return , the relay squad was excitedly talking about a possible medal at the next edition of the World Cross Country Championships , scheduled to take place in Croatia in February 2024 .
In Australia , we had the perfect opportunity to make major improvements in our cross country results . We are also in the Southern Hemisphere and experience similar temperatures , so that should have been used to our advantage . In contrast , the next edition of the World Championships will be in the Northern
Prudence Sekgodiso during the Mixed Relay
Hemisphere winter . Poland hosted the competition in 2013 , and there was snow on the course , while it was once again brutally cold in Denmark in 2019 . So how did the Kenyans and Ethiopians prepare ? Well , they took part in cross country races in Europe in December and January , in the European winter . So , if we ever want to take cross country serious in this country , that is the model to follow .
Again , it comes down to finances and planning . South Africa has a deep pool of running talent , and could become a powerhouse in cross country … but only if the attitude at the top changes , and cross country is no longer treated like a little sister in the sport . Here we can take inspiration from Japan , which has never taken the World Cross Country Championships seriously . This year they did , and their team spent two months training in Australia , at times on the actual World Champs course . Granted , Japan didn ’ t actually feature at these World Championships , but with this kind of attitude and preparation , that should change dramatically in the future .
South Africa has a golden opportunity with this new generation of athletes and our relay team to do something in cross country . It will require a major mindshift by the powers that be , and an aggressive approach to finding funds and preparation , but that does not mean it is not doable .
Once the Trials had been done in December , the team was only announced late in January , which left the athletes with no idea of whether or not they were in fact in the team . The final team should have been announced straight after the Trials , to allow the athletes the maximum time to prepare . ASA wanted a final fitness test at the beginning of February , and that is fair enough , but compare this to the other African countries and their preparations .
Kenya have been dominant in cross country for decades , with Ethiopia also featuring prominently , and Uganda is fast emerging as a new powerhouse , but what are they doing differently to SA in preparation ? Well , team announcements were made in 2022 , and
Kenya , Ethiopia and Uganda dominated the World Champs podium
About the Author
Manfred Seidler is a freelance sport journalist who has been in the industry since 1994 , in both print media and broadcasting , covering four Olympic Games for SABC Radio , and producing various athletics shows for the SABC . Follow him on Twitter : @ sportmansa ; Facebook : Sport Man SA ; Instagram : sportman _ sa .
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