The 2025 edition of the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships will go down as one of the best in recent years, with established and rising stars delivering across a wide range of events at NWU McArthur Athletics Stadium in Potchefstroom last weekend.
A total of eight athletes achieved qualifying standards for this year's World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo, five of which qualified for the first time.
They included Gift Leotlela and Bayanda Walaza in the men's 100m event, Sinesipho Dambile, Naaem Jack and Abduraqhmaan Karriem in the men's 200m sprint, Zakithi Nene in the men's 400m final, and Prudence Sekgodiso and Charne Swart-Du Plessis in the women's 800m event.
Unreal speed from Day 1 of the #ASASeniorTFChamps ⚡
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) April 25, 2025
Gift Leotlela blazed through with a 9.99s 🐆
Bayanda Walaza followed closely with a 10.00s 🔥
Both athletes secured their spots at the World Athletics Championships! 🌍🏃♂️#TeamSA #ForMyCountry pic.twitter.com/Y9zXhvpN8j
Zakithi Nene delivered a statement run! 🔥
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) April 27, 2025
Blazing through the 400m in 44.22s — the second-fastest time ever by a South African — and securing his World Championships spot! 🇿🇦💥
The ZakAttack is unstoppable! 🚀#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #ASASeniorTFChamps pic.twitter.com/g8bgCo6G3j
There were also some memorable performances by other athletes.
Versatile field events star Colette Uys completed a magnificent medal treble.
Uys launched a massive 18.14m heave, falling just three centimetres short of the South African record of 18.17m held by Ashley Erasmus in the women's shot put final.
She also won gold in the women's discus throw event and silver in the hammer throw final.
And long-distance runner Glenrose Xaba wrapped up a 5 000m/10 000 double for the second year in a row, earning her 10th national senior title on the track.
In addition, multiple junior athletes produced standout results, with two of them breaking SA U20 records.
In the men's 400m semifinals, 17-year-old Leendert Koekemoer clocked 45.03 to break the 31-year-old national junior mark of 45.15 held by Riaan Dempers.
In the women's discus throw final, 19-year-old Alicia Khunou also broke the SA U20 record, securing the silver medal with a 55.06m heave.
Elsewhere last week, at international level, sprinter Akani Simbine won the men's 100m race at the opening leg of the Diamond League track and field series in China, stopping the clock at 9.99 seconds.
Akani Simbine turns on the afterburners 😤💪
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) April 26, 2025
Only one man stands out in the Men's 100m in Xiamen 🔥🇿🇦
📺 Stream #XiamenDL on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/qwwE2F1ru6
And at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany, Elroy Gelant finished fourth in 2:05:36, breaking the 26-year-old SA men's 42km record of 2:06:33 set by Gert Thys in Tokyo in 1999.
History made! 🇿🇦
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) April 27, 2025
Elroy Gelant smashes the South African marathon record at the Hamburg Marathon, clocking 2:05:36 and taking fourth place!
He wipes 57 seconds off the national record that had stood since 1999. Legendary! 🔥#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #MarathonRecord pic.twitter.com/g1j8NHlFoy
"If you look at the consistence since the start of the South African season to date, you can forgive us if we have a but if confidence that our athletes will lead us to another happy ending," said James Moloi, the President of Athletics South Africa.
"Performances across the board at the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships, along with the international successes, suggests that the Rainbow Nation is growing from strength to strength. Well done to all the individuals and provincial teams who shone at the national championships, and we are excited to see what else our athletes can achieve both home and abroad this year."