Athletics South Africa (ASA) high-performance manager Hezekiel Sepeng has stressed that experience was key in the SA relay final squad selection for the forthcoming World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, in May.
Speaking exclusively to Sunday World ahead of the official final squad announcement, which was initially scheduled to be unveiled on Tuesday, the South African athletics legend said there would not be many changes to the look of the team, as they are mainly relying on experience and consistency.
“We will mainly be focusing on those athletes who are in our squad. We’re not going to introduce a lot of athletes, even if they will be performing better, probably better than the other athletes that are in the squad,” Sepeng said.
“But we are going to stick to that because experience is important when it comes to relays. The other athletes’ opportunity will be given. They will have to first be inducted into the squad moving forward, as we move towards 2028.
“They probably will have more athletes because I’ve seen that there are more athletes who have performed during our junior champs. But it doesn’t mean we will include consistency and experience. It’s very important for us.”
Preparations underway
ASA recently held a two-day training camp, where the preparation squad gathered at the University of Johannesburg.
Sepeng confirmed to Sunday World that the final team will have one more camp closer to the world relays on 2-3 May.
“We will announce the squad in the coming days for about eight athletes. That’s the final squad now that it’s possible to go to the World Relays,” he said.
“So, we need to reduce it to the athletes who are in shape now because you can only enter six athletes per relay and two reserves … and those will be the non-travelling reserves.
“We will then have our training camp after the National Champs [from Thursday to Saturday in Stellenbosch], which will be the final training camp where we’ll fine-tune everything.
“Then we will do a competition at the Akani Simbine Classic because there is a relay there, again, just to polish everything and make corrections. On the 28th, then on the 30th, we depart for Botswana,” Sepeng added.
- Athletics South Africa prioritizes experience over recent performance for the World Athletics Relays squad selection.
- The final relay team will mainly consist of current squad members, with few new athletes introduced.
- Preparations include a recent two-day training camp and a final camp scheduled for early May before the relays.
- The squad will be trimmed to eight athletes—six competitors and two non-traveling reserves—based on current fitness levels.
- Final tune-ups involve a relay competition at the Akane Simbine Classic before departing for the World Relays in Botswana on April 30.
“We will mainly be focusing on those athletes who are in our squad. We're not going to introduce a lot of athletes, even if they will be performing better, probably better than the other athletes that are in the squad,”
“But we are going to stick to that because experience is important when it comes to relays.
“
ASA recently held a two-day training camp, where the preparation squad gathered at the University of Johannesburg.
“We will announce the squad in the coming days for about eight athletes.
“So, we need to reduce it to the athletes who are in shape now because you can only enter six athletes per relay and two reserves … and those will be the non-travelling reserves.
"We will then have our training camp after the National Champs [from
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