Latest news with #WorldStudentGames
TimesLIVE
17 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Bayanda Walaza wins Universiade 100m crown on profitable day for SA
Bayanda Walaza became the third South African to win the World Student Games 100m crown as he claimed South Africa's third gold medal of the 2025 showpiece in Germany on Tuesday night. The world junior champion crossed the line in 10.16sec as he downed Puripol Boonson of Thailand, the same man he beat at the under-20 global competition in Peru last year. Anaso Jobodwana was the first South African to win this crown in 2013 and Akani Simbine followed in 2015 — and now there's 19-year-old Walaza, who has added the Universiade title to his age-group crowns and Olympic 4x100m silver medal. But it wasn't all plain sailing for the Tshwane University of Technology student, who survived anxious moments in the semifinals. Walaza escaped a false start after one of his rivals twitched in his blocks before his own indiscretion. Then the field was called back for a faulty start and when they finally got under way for real at the third firing of the gun, Walaza didn't get away as cleanly as normal. But he did enough to win his heat by one-hundredth of a second. He made no mistake in the final to cap a profitable day for South Africa with no fewer than four medals on the day. In the women's 100m Gabriella Marais ended third in 10.51, seven-hundredths of a second behind Australia winner Georgia Harris. Colette Uys took bronze in the women's shot put with a heave of 17.34m, just 1cm in front of compatriot Mine de Klerk. Olivia Nel landed her third medal of the gala as she claimed bronze in the women's 50m backstroke in 27.91sec, breaking her own African record set earlier in the competition. Then she won the first semifinal heat of the women's 50m freestyle, clocking 24.96, the second-fastest time of the evening. Nel's podium finish added to the two bronze medals claimed in relay races, one of which she won alongside twin Georgia, in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay.
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Pieter Coetzé wins again at student games as Bayanda Walaza enters fray
Pieter Coetzé picked up two more medals at the World Student Games on Monday night, including his second gold of the showpiece to lift South Africa to third on the medals table. Coetzé won the men's 50m backstroke and finished second in the 100m freestyle to take his personal tally to three at the Universiade, which is mostly spread across Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region. Guy Brooks, Ruard van Renen and Olivia Nel claimed their second bronze gongs of the gala as they finished third in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay alongside Michaela de Villiers. By early Tuesday morning South Africa's tally at the Games stood at two gold, two silver and two bronze which placed them third behind the US and Japan. Coetzé dived into the freestyle race first, touching in 48.12sec to finish behind American Matthew King by 11-hundredths of a second. A little more than an hour later he edged the backstroke event, finishing first in 24.49, just two-hundredths of a second in front of Korean Yoon Jihwan. To date all South Africa's medals have come from swimming, which is being staged in Berlin, with Coetzé winning the 100m backstroke in a 51.99 world lead on Saturday night. Other medals have come from double Commonwealth Games champion Lara van Niekerk, who claimed took silver in the women's 50m breaststroke, and Brooks, Van Renen, Nel and Simone Moll with bronze in the mixed 4x100m medley relay. Athletics started in Bochum on Monday, with junior world champion Bayanda Walaza winning his heat in 10.27sec, the second fastest time of the round behind the man he beat into second place at the under-20 global competition, Thailand's Puripol Boonson (10.23). Walaza's compatriot Kyle Zinn was third quickest in 10.33. Walaza and Zinn will compete in the 100m semifinals on Tuesday evening, with the final scheduled for later Tuesday night.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Increased depth in South African athletics is raising the standard
The country has never had so many athletes competing on the international track and field circuit. Middle-distance runner Prudence Sekgodiso is one of four SA athletes among the top five of their events in the Diamond League standings. Picture: Cecilia van Bers/Gallo Images There have been golden periods when South Africa has had more quality at the highest level of international track and field, but athletics in this country is experiencing unprecedented depth. On Tuesday, there were a total of 16 athletes competing at World Athletics Continental Tour meetings in Switzerland and Italy. We also have 70 youth and junior athletes competing this week at the African U18 and U20 Championships, and next week a full national squad will turn out at the World Student Games. On top of this, we've never had so many athletes competing on the top-flight Diamond League circuit. At the Rabat leg of the series earlier this season we had 10 South Africans competing at one meeting. There have been seasons in which we haven't had 10 athletes competing throughout the entire Diamond League campaign. In order to improve the quality at the top and rake in more medals at major global championships, increasing the depth is key. Diamond League performances Already we're seeing the benefits of this, with four South African athletes lying in the top five of their events in the Diamond League standings. Akani Simbine is top of the table in the men's 100m event, Prudence Sekgodiso is in second place in the women's 800m, Jo-Ane du Plessis is lying second in the women's javelin throw, and Zakithi Nene is fifth in the men's 400m. The depth in sprinting has also made a big difference in boosting our relay teams, with the nation showcasing its strength at the World Athletics Relays earlier this year where the SA squad picked up three medals (including two gold). Hopefully some of these athletes and relay teams can carry their form through to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September, where they will be gunning for podium places. Group effort The sport is in a good space at the moment, thanks to support from Sascoc (through its Operation Excellence programme) and Athletics South Africa (which has organised multiple relay camps in recent years). Coaches are also playing an important role, with pockets of excellence emerging across the country, while the athletes' agents also deserve credit for getting so many individuals into top-tier and lower-tier international meetings. As long as the depth continues to improve, there will be a rise in quality, and considering the talent we have coming through, things are looking good in the long-term build-up to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Pieter Coetzé blitzes backstroke in Germany to move to No.1 in the world
Pieter Coetzé stunned world swimming as he won the 100m backstroke crown at the World Student Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, on Saturday night in a lightning 51.99s. That time, which makes the 21-year-old South African the eighth fastest of all time, would have won the Olympic title in Paris last year. Coetzé, who ended fifth in France in a 52.58 African record, won the Universiade race by more than half a second, with American William Modglin touching in 52.54. The Pretoria-based South African, who hails from Rustenburg, broke his own continental mark in Friday's semifinals when he went 52.18. His performance suddenly places him as the top seed ahead of the world championships in Singapore, which kick off next Sunday. With the retirement of his Tuks teammate, breaststroke superstar Tatjana Smith, last year, Coetzé's display suggests he will stretch South Africa's unbroken run of world championship silverware to 24 years in Singapore. Coetzé is scheduled to compete in the 50m backstroke heats in Germany on Sunday morning.
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Young archer eyes medal at World Student Games
Getting to hit the bullseye with a bow and arrow in hand is second nature to Joané Coetzee. It should be no surprise. It is said that becoming a competitive archer requires a combination of physical fitness, mental strength, and the mastery of specific techniques. The Tuks sports science student ticks all the boxes. A quick glance at her CV is proof of that. Since 2020, not a year has gone by where she hasn't won a South African title. She is also versatile. It doesn't matter if she's shooting indoors or outdoors or taking aim at animal-shaped targets in the field. Coetzee does not miss. At a rough count, she has more than 13 national titles to her name. A definite highlight was being crowned Junior Indoor World Champion in 2023. Next month in Germany, the Tuks sports science student will get another chance to claim a world title when she competes in the World Student Games. Coetzee can't wait. One of the main reasons she chose archery as a sport is because she likes to be put under pressure. 'I don't quite know how to say it, but I like tension. That's when I'm at my best. Each time when I compete, I aim to be better than I was the last time,' she described her philosophy during a recent interview. According to Coetzee, she completely shut herself off from what's going on around her during a competition. 'It's just me, the bow and the target that matters. When I shoot a bad arrow, I try to forget about it immediately. My focus is on the next arrow, making sure it counts,' she explained. Competitive archery often involves shooting multiple arrows in a short period, requiring the archer to repeatedly draw and hold the bow. This requires significant upper-body strength and endurance to maintain form and accuracy. To keep the bow steady requires a strong core. It is also believed that the fitter an archer, the more mentally tough they are. This is the reason why Coetzee likes to go for runs and spend hours in the gym. 'We have actually been given a whole fitness program we need to complete before the World Student Games,' said Coetzee. According to her, archery is a family thing. 'Everyone can shoot, but that does not mean they are as serious about the sport as I am. My dad is an avid bow hunter. When I was in Grade 8 at Hoërskool Waterkloof, I got tick bite fever. It meant I missed out on the athletics and netball trials. So, my dad convinced me to take up archery. It did not take long for me to get hooked,' she remarked. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
