The South African women’s 4x100m relay team set a new national record on the opening day of the World Athletics Relays at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana on Saturday, 2 May 2026.
The national quartet of Viwe Jingqi, Kayla la Grange, Gabriella Marais and Joviale Mbisha clocked 43.22 seconds to finish fourth in their first-round heat, rewriting the South African record while narrowly missing a place in the final by just 0.11 seconds.
The South African mixed 4x400m team of Gardeo Isaacs, Rogail Joseph, Lythe Pillay and Marlie Viljoen finished fifth in their heat in 3:11.19, completing the four-lap race 0.59 seconds outside a qualifying place for the final.
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In the women’s 4x400m heats, Precious Molepo, Christi Loggenberg, Hannah van Niekerk and Marlie Viljoen finished fourth in their race in 3:26.77, ending ninth quickest overall and outside the qualifying positions for the final.
Although the three teams missed out on Sunday’s medal contests, they will return to the track for the second day’s additional qualifying round, where they can still secure spots for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships and the 2027 World Athletics Championships.
Original Copy: Athletics South Africa, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Joviale Mbisha of South Africa in action in the Women’s 4×100 Metres Relay on Day 1 of the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 at Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana, on May 2, 2026. Photo: Anton Geyser / Athletics SA
Photo 2 Caption: Kayla la Grange hands the batton to Gabriella Marais on Day 1 of the World Athletics Relays. Photo: Anton Geyser / Athletics SA
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