Bayanda Walaza’s late withdrawal hands Mlenga a comeback opportunity in Tokyo

South Africa will face a stern test of the depth of its sprinting talent on the opening weekend of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in the aftermath of the late withdrawal through injury of star sprinter Bayanda Walaza.

Walaza had injured his hamstring in the men’s 100m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich, Switzerland on August 25, but was included in the 49-member team in the hope that he would make a late recovery. 

Unfortunately, the teenager, a member of the Olympic silver and World Relays gold medal-winning 4x100m teams, failed a late Athletics SA medical evaluation, and was ruled out of the championships at the National Stadium in Tokyo from September 13-21.

“This decision was made in the best interest of the athlete and the integrity of the national team,” ASA said in a statement.

The athletics mother body also confirmed that Walaza’s  place in the 100m will be taken by Retshidisitswe Mlenga, who was originally a reserve.  

The former world youth champion, who is on the comeback trail after failing to deliver on his early potential, will now join the in-form Akani Simbine and Gift Leotlela in the men’s 100m heats on Saturday. The final takes place on Sunday night.

Simbine will be hoping to lead the charge for SA in the blue-riband sprint. He is gunning for a first world championship medal after near misses in recent years. The speedster’s form in the early Diamond League meetings this season and in the final in Zurich, where he bagged silver, gives SA athletics fans reason to dream. 

A podium finish will also help set the tone for the rest of the competition for Team SA’s sizeable contingent of sprinting talent. 

Mlenga and Leotlela should not be counted out, should they navigate their heats and book a place in the final. Both have dipped under 10 seconds before. Tokyo 2020 semi-finalist Leotlela has also beaten Walaza over 100m at the national championships and in the recent Brussels Diamond League meeting invitation race, where he won gold while Walaza had to settle for silver.  

The other sprinters in action on Saturday’s opening day are the members of the 4X400m mixed relay team, who will feature in the heats in the early session and final in the late session.

The first South African athlete in action on Day 1 is Jessica Groenewald in the women’s 35km race walk. Long jumper Cheswill Johnson also opens his campaign in qualifying on Saturday morning, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Luvo Manyonga and Khotso Mokoena. 

Shot putter Kyle Blignaut, an Olympic finalist, also gets his campaign under way on Saturday.

The track stars take centre stage on Sunday. Tshepo Tshite and Ryan Mphahlele get the ball rolling in the men’s 1 500m heats in the early session, with Marione Fourie in action in the women’s 100m hurdles heats.

Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay are among those to watch in the 400m qualifiers. Adriaan Wildschutt will be hoping to bag the first medal for the distance runners when he takes to the track in the men’s 10 000m final in the evening session, which is sandwiched between the men’s 100m semifinals and final.