Middle-distance runner Tshepo Tshite shattered the South African 1 500m record at the Diamond League meeting held in Paris, France on Friday night.
Tshite finished ninth in 3:31.35, taking more than half a second off the 11-year-old national mark of 3:31.93 set by former World Championships medallist Johan Cronje in Rieti, Italy in September 2013.
Already holding the SA 1 500m (3:35.06) and mile (3:54.10) short track records, 28-year-old Tshite set a national outdoor mark for the first time in his career. In a lightning-fast race, Azeddine Habz of France secured victory in 3:27.49, setting the fastest time in the world this year and dragging five other athletes under 3:30.00.
In another race, Adriaan WIldschutt, the only other South African competing in Paris, settled for 14th position in the men's 5 000m race in 13:28.67. Up front, Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia triumphed in 12:47.84.
"As we congratulate Tshite for achieving his fete of breaking a record, we also take the opportunity to encourage all athletes to drastically improve their performances in order to reach podium positions. The rest of the world is doing the same, because Japan won't be easy in September.
"But we definitely don' take anything away from him, for a national record is always an achievement to be celebrated as it becomes a new bench mark for others. We, therefore, congratulate Tshite, his coach and all of his support staff," said James Moloi, the President of Athletics South Africa.
The next leg of the Diamond League series will be held in Eugene, USA on 5 July.