South Africa Ends World Athletics Championships Without a Single Medal

• Team South Africa failed to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary
• World record holder Wayde van Niekerk finished last in the men's 400m final in Budapest
• Akani Simbine was disqualified in the 100m semi-finals and never got to join in the relay

The World Athletics Championships has officially ended and it was one to forget for South Africa.

The crème of the crop of athletics gathered in Budapest, Hungary, to test their mettle against one another and take home bragging rights and medals.

Sadly for Team South Africa, there was very little to brag about.

Despite having some top athletes competing at the games, athletes from the country failed to win a single medal at the championships.

Van Niekerk was South Africa’s best chance

Many expected world record holder, Wayde Van Niekerk, to win a medal at the championships after finding his form this year.

Ranking the 15 best pole vaulters in the world right now

Other Sports

As reported by The Citizen, he finished last in the men’s 400m final in a time of 45.11 seconds, which was more than a second slower than his best time this season.

Simbine never got to shine

South Africa’s other medal hopeful, Akani Simbine, never got a chance to show what he was capable of.

The sprinter was disqualified from the 100m semi-finals for a false start and never got to run in the 4x100m final either.

The South African team competed in the final, represented by Shaun Maswanganyi, Benjamin Richardson, Clarence Munyai, and Simbine.

Unfortunately for them, they didn’t finish after they dropped the baton during the race before it got to Simbine on the final leg, News24 reported.

SA ladies provide some hope

South Africa’s female sprinters, Prudence Sekgodiso and Marione Fourie, also gave the country some hope as they progressed to the semi-finals of the 800m and the 100m hurdles respectively.

Carmona's late stunner takes Spain into maiden Women's World Cup final

Football

However, neither of them could make it to the final.

5 interesting facts about Wayde

The sprinter is loved not only in South Africa but all around the world. The Olympic and world record holder became a household name due to his sprinting exploits, but injury curtailed his meteoric rise.

With the World Athletics Championships currently wrapping up in Budapest, Hungary, Sports Brief previously looked at five interesting facts about van Niekerk as he aimed to claim a gold medal.