JOHANNESBURG- South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday congratulated the men’s national 4x100m relay team which won gold in a new world record at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, over the weekend.
The SA team of Mihlali Xhotyeni, Sinesipho Dambile, Letlhogonolo Moleyane and Benjamin Richardson, secured victory in the final in 38.51 seconds, shattering the previous global Under-20 mark of 38.62 which had been set by the USA at the Pan American Championships in Costa Rica in July 2019.
Ramaphosa tweeted: “Congratulations to our 4x100m relay team for setting a new world record at the U20 World Championships in Kenya. This stunning achievement by Africans on African soil deserves our applause and respect. This is how our youth move our nation and our continent forward. Well done!”
Congratulations to our 4x100m relay team for setting a new world record at the U20 World Championships in Kenya. This stunning achievement by Africans on African soil deserves our applause and respect. This is how our youth move our nation and our continent forward. Well done! pic.twitter.com/jdQru5IgBC
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 23, 2021
Richardson, who ran a superb anchor leg for South Africa, said afterwards: “It feels very good to win the gold. We worked for it, and it feels like a very great achievement. I’m happy for me and my team doing it together; we’re all fast and together we got to a world record. Knowing Jamaica, I kept to my top speed on the last leg. Our performance here shows South Africa is getting good in the relays and individual events.”
SA finished ahead of Jamaica who set an area Under-20 record of 38.61, while Poland also set an area record of 38.90 to win the bronze.
Meanwhile, the SA women’s 4x100m relay team finished sixth in their final, with Marione Fourie, Charlize Eilerd, Kayla la Grange and Viwe Jinqi clocking 45.05 to break the national Under-20 record of 45.07 which had been set by the Northern Transvaal (Gauteng North) provincial team in Tshwane in March 1984. - African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman