Wayde van Niekerk and Shaun Maswanganyi Advance to 200m Semi-Finals at Paris Olympics
Image Source: AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File
Published by Everything ZA News
Paris, France — South African sprint icons Wayde van Niekerk and Shaun Maswanganyi have secured their spots in the semi-finals of the men’s 200m at the Paris Olympics after both finished third in their respective heats.
At 32 years old, Van Niekerk is looking to recapture his former glory. He finished behind Joseph Fahnbulleh of Liberia and Eseosa Fostine Desalu of Italy in the first heat with a time of 20.42 seconds. Prior to the Olympics, Van Niekerk withdrew from his favored 400m event, where he holds the world record, to concentrate on the 200m.
In the fifth heat, Maswanganyi also delivered an impressive performance, finishing behind Erriyon Knighton of the United States and Tapiwanashe Makarawu of Zimbabwe to secure his place in the semi-finals.
However, there was disappointment for Benjamin Richardson, who was well-positioned after the turn in the third 200m heat but pulled up on the home straight with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, causing him to finish last.
400m Runners Seize Second Chances
Team South Africa’s Lythe Pillay and Zakithi Nene capitalized on their second chances, advancing to the men’s 400m semi-finals through the repechage. Similarly, Miranda Coetzee earned another opportunity to reach the women’s 400m semi-finals after finishing fourth in her heat on Monday.
Discus Throwers Fall Short
It was a tough day for South Africa’s discus throwers. Francois Prinsloo and Victor Hogan were both eliminated in the qualification round after finishing 13th in their respective groups.
Sport Climbers Face Challenges
In the sport climbing events, Mel Janse van Rensburg did not progress to the next round after earning 9.4 points in the men’s semi-final boulder climb. Aniya Holder, who advanced through the qualification heats, was defeated by reigning Olympic champion and world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw.
Despite some setbacks, Team South Africa remains determined, with several athletes still in contention for medals as the Paris Olympics continue.
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