By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gift Leotlela stormed back into form as he out-dipped teenage sensation Bayanda Walaza to win the SA 100m title in Potchefstroom on Thursday .
Walaza, who was one of the favourites coming in, had run the fastest wind-legal time at 10.02 to cross the line first in his semi-final heat.
Leotlela defeated his training partner Walaza by the narrowest of margins in the final, clocking 9.99 to Walaza’s 10.00.
Paris 2024 semi-finalist Benjamin Richardson took third place in 10.05.
Leotlela was one of the upcoming stars as a youngster and in 2021 reached his peak as he clocked a 9.94sec personal best. That year he also reached the 100m semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, where he pulled up injured.
He has been off the radar until this year, reappearing with a burst that could make Akani Simbine, owner of the 9.82sec SA record, sweat for SA’s final third spot in the 100m line-up at the world championships.
“I knew what I did in the semi-final and had to do the same thing in the final. Leotlela said after winning the race.
“I knew I had to focus on myself and the execution of my race and not worry about anything else.”
Elsewhere, Prudence Sekgodiso (2:06.85) won her women’s 800m race, beating strong competition from Naum Bobape (2:08.19), who came in second after fading in the latter parts of the race, with Carise van Rooyen (2:09.95) finishing third. The world indoor 800m gold medalist showed her intentions from the line and maintained her lead throughout the two-lap race.
Sekgodiso is expected to go hard into battle with last year’s champion, Charne Swart, who eased into the second heat win in an unofficial time of 2:07.15, ahead of Gena Lofstrand (2:07.84), with Afiwe Hoboloshe coming in third place (2:08.69).
Kyle Blignaut had to settle for second, as his throw of 20.07 was only second best to Aiden Smith’s winning throw of 20.31 in the final of the men’s shotput.