Benji Richardson produced two stunning performances over the 100m and 200m over the weekend, as his Paris Olympics stocks just shot up.
The South African sprinter first claimed victory in the men’s 100m at the Resisprint meeting in Switzerland on Sunday, before taking second in the 200m.
Richardson powered to the win in the 100m in a time of 9.86 seconds, which was a massive personal best as he went under 10 for the first time in his career. His time was just behind the 9.84 SA record set by Akani Simbine in 2021.
Later in the meeting, the 20-year-old then went on to crack a sub-20 time in the 200m as he crossed the line in 19.99.
Controversial team selection
Richardson is one of three South Africans who have qualified for the Paris Olympics in the men’s 100m, alongside Simbine and Shaun Maswanganyi. The youngster will also take up a place in the men’s 200m with Maswanganyi and Wayde van Niekerk.
The makeup of the men’s 200m has caused a stir as Luxolo Adams was dropped from the side, after initially making the final team for the quadrennial showpiece starting later this month.
Adams’ removal from the team came after Van Niekerk opted to compete in only the 200m at the Olympics, instead of the 400m. Athletics SA had to choose three athletes to compete in the 200m, but the problem is that five SA runners have qualified.
Following ASA’s decision to remove Adams from the team, the athlete said: “This decision has been incredibly disheartening, especially considering the journey I have undertaken and the mental and physical challenges I have faced.”