Ndori steals the show in 400m thriller
As the athletics season gains momentum, local athletes are making waves following standout performances at the ASA Grand Prix in South Africa on Wednesday.
The talent-packed competition saw Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori dominate the 400m race with a world-leading time of 44.59 seconds, edging out Olympians Zakhiti Nene, Letsile Tebogo, and Leungo Scotch in a nail-biting finish.
Tebogo, renowned for his exploits in the 100m and 200m events, stepped up to the 400m challenge with ease, securing second place with a season-best time of 45.42 seconds.
Reflecting on his performance, Tebogo said he was taking things easy and focusing on staying fresh ahead of the World Championships in September. I believe this year I’m slower than the times I did here last year in the same event. This is because September is very far and the season is complicated, so the aim is to get there with a healthier body and mind. South Africa helps us because it has good infrastructure which we utilise when we are here and we make sure we enjoy ourselves and focus back on track from there,” Tebogo reflected on the performance.
Meanwhile, seasoned quarter-mile runner, Leungo Scotch, only managed a fifth position finish with a time of 45.57 seconds which is also his season’s best while his compatriot, Tumo Van Wyk settled for the seventh position with a time of 47.09 seconds.
The World Championships, scheduled for Tokyo, Japan, from the 13th-25th of September are already on the radar for some athletes with Tebogo, Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi having secured qualification.
In another outstanding performance, Oratile Nowe set a new women’s 800m national record of 1:59.46, narrowly missing the World Championships qualification mark of 1:59.00 by just 0.46 seconds.
In the men’s category, the trio of Ketlhobogile Haingura, Tumo Nkape and Letlhogonolo Mokgeti dominated all the three podium positions with times of 1.44.87, 1:46.49 and 1:46.54 respectively
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Victor Ntweng and Kemorena Tisang finished second and third in their impressive debuts with times of 49.46 and 50.82 seconds respectively.
