TRACK & FIELD
The SA quartet clocked 2:59.76 to narrowly finish second in their heat behind Botswana ( 2:59.73 ), which meant the team had qualified for Paris . Then , in the final , Team SA crossed the line in 3:00.75 , second only to Botswana , who took the gold in 2:59.11 , and Nene says , “ I think the silver medal was just like a really , really good confidence-booster for the relay team as a whole .”
Silver for SA at World Relays
“ I think over the last couple of years , we ’ ve had a really good quartet of runners , but we never really managed to formulate a relay team , and this announced that South Africa is back in the relay setup . I think we all have the same mindset , so it ’ s really good having the backing of Wayde as well . Being able to achieve that silver medal without him in that final , too , just goes to show the depth that we have as a country in the 4x400m .”
That depth has meant that competition is fierce not only to make it onto the team , but also in the individual 400 , where Nene , Pillay and Van Niekerk are the three leading athletes in SA at the moment . However , Nene welcomes this . “ Competition is always good , competition is healthy , you know , and we ’ ve got a healthy rivalry among the three of us , and a good friendship off the track .”
Nene adds that a measure of the quality in the event in the country is the fact that Van Niekerk ’ s winning time in the 400m at last year ’ s South African Championships ( 44.17 ) was , in fact , faster than the time run by Jamaican Antonio Watson to win the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest later in the year ( 44.22 ). “ We ’ re all just levelling up and taking our game to the next level ,” he reckons . “ Being able to compete with these guys , running this fast in your domestic season , it gives you the level of confidence that you feel more prepared when hitting the European circuits … I love it !” he enthuses .
Through the Pain Barrier
Like so many one-lap athletes , Nene enjoys a bit of a love-hate relationship with the 400m , which is known as one of the most painful races to run . “ What I always say about the 400 is that you don ’ t choose the event , the event chooses you . If it was up to me , to be quite honest with you , I ’ d go ahead and actually compete in the 200 ,” he admits . “ I think with the 400 ,
Team SA fought back to claim the silver medal in the men ’ s 4x400m Relay final at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas in May , once again finishing second to Botswana .
the lactic just doesn ’ t get easier – whether you ’ re running it slow or you ’ re running it fast , you ’ re just always going to feel it . But then again , we still keep coming back for more , race after race , so we ’ re just like ‘ lactic junkies ’ at the moment . I think you have to be a little bit crazy to run the 400 !”
Looking past the pain , and ahead to the Paris Games , Nene has set himself some lofty goals . “ The goal for Paris is to survive the rounds , take it as it comes , and also help the team in the 4x400 relay to do really well . I think we ’ re looking at making it to the finals , first and foremost , but also think we are all confident in each other ’ s abilities , and if we can keep our form and shape leading up to the championship , I think we can actually start talking about a gold medal .”
As for the individual event , Nene is very much taking it one race at a time . “ This year we ’ ve had quite a few athletes running 44.3 and under , so to make the final you ’ d have to run a quick time , but Anything can happen in the final , so I just want to make the final and then take it from there .”
Nene ’ s Numbers
Honours
2024 World Athletics Relay – 4x400m Relay , silver medal 2024 SA Championships – 400m , silver medal 2022 SA Championships – 400m , gold medal 2021 SA Championships – 400m , gold medal 2019 World University Games – 4x400m Relay , silver medal
Personal Bests |
100m |
10.68 |
200m |
20.72 |
300m |
32.35 |
400m |
44.74 |
4x400m Relay |
2:59.76 |
Zakithi Nene is looking to take his recent good form into the Paris Olympics
Catch the 400m Action
The heats of the men ’ s 400m at the Paris Olympics will be run on 4 August , followed by the newly introduced repechage round ( for those athletes who don ’ t claim one of the automatic qualifying spots into the semis ) set for 5 August . The semifinals will be run on 6 August , and the final is on 7 August . The men ’ s 4x400m relay heats will take place on 9 August , with the final set for 10 August .
Image : Kamciography
54 ISSUE 170 | www . modernathlete . co . za