There were six South Africans athletes who took part in the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.
They were: Zakithi Nene (men’s 400m), Marione Fourie (women’s 100m hurdles), Prudence Sekgodiso (women’s 800m), Gift Leotlela and Akani Simbine (men’s 100m) and Sinesipho Dambile (men’s 200m).
Of the six, three qualified from the semi-finals to the final, with Dambile faring brst, finishing fourth in the men’s 200m. The 2026 Commonwealth Games gold medallist came into the event on the back of a second-pace finish in the men’s final 200m Diamond League meeting of the season, in Brussels.
This is how our athletes performed in Budapest.
Zakithi Nene: finished 7th in his heat in 45.30 and didn’t progress to the final.
Marione Fourie: finished 6th in her heat in 12.84 and didn’t progress to the final.
Prudence Sekgodiso: finished 6th in her heat in 1:59.66 and didn’t progress to the final.
Gift Leotlela: finished 4th in his semi-final in 10.03 and progressed to the final where he came 6th in 9.98.
Akani Simbine: finished 4th in his semi-final in 10.05 and progressed to the final where he came 8th in 10.09.
Sinesipho Dambile: won his semi-final in an impressive 19.80, the fastest of the qualifiers heading into the final. In the final he came 4th, in 19.91, with American Kenneth Bednarek completing the 100/200m double, this time in 19.52.