Hannah Hope Vermaak receives the baton from Gabriella Marais, followed by Leonette Vosloo and Chardone Smidt during the relay training camp held in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Image: Cecilia van Bers/ Athletics South Africa
South Africa has officially begun preparations for the 2026 World Athletics Relays, scheduled for May 2–3 in Gaborone, Botswana, with the country’s top sprinters fine-tuning their skills ahead of the global stage.
After a standout performance at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, where South Africa claimed two golds and a bronze, Athletics South Africa (ASA) is determined to build on that success. Most members of the 32-athlete preparation squad attended a high-intensity relay camp over the weekend at the University of Johannesburg Athletics Stadium.
ASA high performance manager Hezekiel Sepeng emphasised that the camp was about much more than physical training.
"They are also about team building and the athletes understanding each other,” Sepeng said. “Sitting together, eating lunch, sharing goals, and creating strategies collectively helps our relay teams gel.
"Time on the track together is particularly crucial for the 4x100m squads. The 4x100m event is more technical than the 4x400m and if you are going to win gold you need to be perfect on the day. You'll get it wrong at first, but you try again and again until you get it right, and you can only do that by practising at these training camps."
The squad worked under newly appointed national relay coaches Werner Prinsloo and Irma Reyneke, focusing on perfecting baton exchanges and race strategies. Sepeng said that this was the first of multiple relay camps leading up to the championships.
“After the ASA Senior Championships in Stellenbosch (April 16–18), we will run a second camp with a smaller, final squad. Athletes will also compete in preparation races at the Simbine Classic in Tshwane on April 28 before departing for Gaborone on April 29,” he explained.
Speedsters Sinesipho Dambile, Akani Simbine, Cheswell Johnson and Tsebo Matsoso put in the hard yards in preparation for the coming World Athletics Relays.
Image: Cecilia van Bers/Athletics South Africa
For the athletes, the camp is an opportunity to sharpen their skills while strengthening team cohesion. Women’s 4x100m squad member Viwe Jingqi described the experience as a milestone.
“For me, it means a lot because we’ve been fighting for the past three years to have a women’s 4x100 team. Now we finally have it, and I know the rest of South Africa will be excited to see what we can do,” she said.
With meticulous preparation, high-level coaching, and a focus on teamwork, South Africa’s relay squads are aiming to return from Botswana with medals once again, continuing the nation’s proud tradition on the world stage.