Sabelo Dhlamini was the standout performer on Friday, storming to an impressive victory in the men's 400m hurdles final on Day 2 of the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships + Relays and Multi Events held at NWU McArthur Stadium in Potchefstroom.
Dhlamini, representing Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA), won gold in 48.57 seconds, crossing the line narrowly outside the 48.50 qualifying standard for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September.
Junior athlete Njabulo Mbatha earned the silver medal in 49.28 and his Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) teammate Martiens du Preez snatched bronze in 49.55.
"I've been chasing this title for the last four years, and the first two times I was hitting hurdles and not even making it to the line properly,. So, I'm very happy," Dhlamini said.
In the final of women's 400m hurdles, Zeney Geldenhuys (AGN) won her fifth South African title in 55.09. Rising junior star Tumi Ramokgopa (AGN) took second place in 55.90 and Hannah van Niekerk (AGN), the bronze medallist at the World Athletics U20 Championships last year, was third in 56.67.
"I'm very happy with first place and the time is not bad as well, so that means the sub-55 and sub-54 is coming closer with each race, and I'm very excited about that," Geldenhuys said.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jovan van Vuuren (AGN) won a tight contest for the medals in the men's long jump, landing at 8.00m to reclaim the national title he last won in 2022. Defending champion Cheswill Johnson (CGA) ended second with a 7.97m leap and Divaan Manuel of Boland Athletics (BOLA) was four centimetres back in the bronze medal position with a 7.93m jump.
"After missing out on the national championships with an abdominal injury last year, bouncing back now and reclaiming my title is special," Van Vuuren said.
In the women's heptathlon, Karmen Fouche produced an impressive victory in only the second competition of her career in the event, consisting of seven disciplines over two days. Fouche, representing host province Athletics Central North West (ACNW), compiled 5 969 points, climbing to third place in the all-time SA heptathlon rankings.
Only Janice Josephs, who earned 6 181 points in Melbourne in 2006 and Fouche's mother, Maralize Visser-Fouche, who racked up 5 988 points in Polokwane in April 2000, have achieved more points in the heptathlon.
IBreyton Poole (BOLA) cleared the bar at 2.20m to win gold in the men's high jump final. Tshepang Dankuru (AGN) achieved the same height, but he settled for second place on count back.
Leandri Holtzhausen of Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) won the women's hammer throw final with a best heave of 66.97m, less than a metre short of her own national record. Colette Uys (AGN) landed the hammer at 65.53m to take second place, earning her second medal of the championships after winning the discus throw gold medal the day before.
Former World Championships finalist Victor Hogan (BOLA) won the men's discus throw with a 61.11m heave, while Ansume de Beer (BOLA) won the women's pole vault with a 4.10m clearance. Zinzi Xulu (CGA) triumphed in the women's triple jump with a 13.44m leap and Carina Siegers (AGN) won the women's 3 000m steeplechase in 10:53.34.
In the men's 400m semifinals, 17-year-old Leendert Koekemoer took second place in his heat in 45.03 seconds, breaking the 31-year-old SA U20 record of 45.15 set by Riaan Dempers in Secunda in May 1994.
With one day of competition remaining Athletics Gauteng North were still top of the standings with 24 medals (eight gold, eight silver and eight bronze), while Athletics Central North West were in second position with 11 medals (four gold, three silver and four bronze) and Central Gauteng Athletics were lying third with eight medals (four gold, three silver and one bronze).