South African sprinters were victorious at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Kenya on Sunday, August 22, after winning gold in the men’s 4X100m relay.
Mihlali Xhotyeni, Sinesipho Dambile, Letlhogonolo Moleyane and Benjamin Richardson, did not only put on a dominant performance but have also set a new world record of 38.51 seconds, shattering the previous global U20 mark of 38.62 which had been set by team USA at the Pan American Championships in Costa Rica in July 2019, IOL reports.
South Africa making #WorldAthleticsU20 history ??
The men’s 4x100m relay team wins ? in a world U20 record 38.51! pic.twitter.com/lEU8HKlvFN
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 22, 2021
What it means to break a relay world record ??
Mihlali Xhotyeni, Sinesipho Dambile, Letlhogonolo Moleyane and Benjamin Richardson make history for South Africa ?? to win the #WorldAthleticsU20 4x100m title in a world U20 record 38.51! pic.twitter.com/2m8S4K48n0
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 22, 2021
Richardson, who ran as anchor leg for South Africa, described the victory as a massive achievement as the team worked extremely hard for it, World Athletics mentioned.
” 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,” Richardson said.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s women’s 4x100m relay team finished sixth in the final, after powerhouses Jamaican smashed the previous world U20 record of 43.27 set by Germany four years ago to take their 12th women’s 4x100m medal in the World U20 Championships.
Picture: Twitter/ World Athletics