Team South Africa faced a “tough day in the office” on Sunday, as their medal hopes faded during the final session of the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Despite strong performances on the track earlier in the meet, the team struggled to find their rhythm in the field events:
• Shot Put: Aiden Smith finished 15th with a 19.07m throw, while New Zealand’s Tom Walsh claimed his fourth world title with a dominant 21.82m.
• Long Jump: 19-year-old Temoso Masikane took 16th place (7.37m), and former world champion Luvo Manyonga unfortunately failed to register a mark. Portugal’s Gerson Baldé secured gold with a leap of 8.46m.
Acting ASA President John Mathane remained pragmatic, noting that while the results weren’t what they hoped for, the athletes would now “reflect and work on improving” as they return to their home bases.
