Strong opposition awaits SADC’s runners in 400 and 800

It should be a concerning fact that only Miranda Coetzee from South Africa will represent sixteen SADC countries next month in the women’s 400 metres at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

In fact, Africa produced only three women who have qualified for the 400. Ella Onojuvwevwo and Esther Joseph from Nigeria, will join Coetzee from 1 to 11 August at the majestic Stade de France Stadium.

Coetzee is currently ranked 48th on World Athletics’ 2024 rankings, while Onojuvwevwo and Joseph are 29th and 95th respectively.

In the 400 men’s races Zablon Ekwam (Kenya), Samuel Ogazi and Chidi Okezie from Nigeria and Cheikh Diouf of Senegal will join six athletes from Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.

The six athletes representing SADC are Collen Kebinatshipi, Bayapo Ndori and Leungo Scotch (Botswana), Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay (South Africa) and Muzala Samukonga (Zambia).

Ndori (fourth on rankings) with 44.10 seconds in 2024, has an excellent chance to show his mettle in Paris.

Pillay (8th), Scotch (19th), Samukonga (19th), Kebinatshipi (26th) and Nene (32nd) all ran times between 44.31 and 44.80 this year.



Women's 800 metres

Top talent appears to be scarce from the southern parts of Africa when it comes to the 800 metres for women and men.

While the rest of the continent produced 12 qualifiers, only Oratile Nowe of Botswana and Prudence Sekgodiso from South Africa have qualified for the 800.

Sekgodiso with 1 minute 57.26 seconds is currently placed third on the world rankings, while Nowe with 1:59.69 settles for 54th.

Mary Moraa from Kenya (second) with a seasons best of 1:56.71 looks like Africa’s best bet for a medal. That is if she can out-sprint Keely Hodgkinson (first, 1:55.78).

From the rest of Africa: Noélie Yarigo (Benin), Habitam Alemu, Tsige Duguma, Nigist Getachew and Worknesh Mesele (Ethiopia), Vivian Kiprotich, Naomi Korir, Mary Moraa and Lilian Odira (Kenya), Assia Raziki (Morocco), Sanu Jallow (The Gambia), Halimah Nakaayi (Uganda).



Middle distance men

In the men’s 800, Kethobogile Haingura, Tshepiso Masalela and Tumo Nkape from Botswana as well as Edmund du Plessis from South Africa will represent the SADC region.

Masalela (19th, 1:43.88), Du Plessis (27th, 1:44.22), Haingura (20th, 1:43.94) and Knape (77th, 1:45.25) ran good times in 2024. But it is Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi (2nd, 1:41.58) that is currently the pick of the African crop.

Seven more countries will boast Africa’s presence with an additional twelve runners in the men’s 800, bringing the total to 15. They are Algeria (three runners), Kenya (4), Morocco (1), Nigeria (1), Somalia (1), South Sudan (1) and Uganda (1).



The 400m and 800m SADC athletes in Paris

400 metres women: Miranda Coetzee (South Africa)

400 metres men: Collen Kebinatshipi, Bayapo Ndori and Leungo Scotch (Botswana), Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay (South Africa), Muzala Samukonga (Zambia).

800 metres women: Oratile Nowe (Botswana), Prudence Sekgodiso (South Africa).

800 metres men: Kethobogile Haingura, Tshepiso Masalela and Tumo Nkape (Botswana), Edmund du Plessis (South Africa),

The SADC countries are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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