Sub 10 and sub 20 for Richardson as Nkoana runs 10.03 to boost SA's 4x100m Olympic relay medal hopes

South Africa's hopes for a very first 4x100m men's relay Olympic medal got a huge boost last night when reigning SA 200m champion Benjamin Richardson ran a scorching 9.86 to announce himself as the next big African sprinter. Already a World Junior Champion over the 4x100m, the 20-year-old who has shown more promise over the half lap sprint this season, beat Olympic finalist and World Indoor Championships bronze medalist Ronnie Baker of America, to win the Resisprint La Chaux-de-Fonds meeting in Switzerland yesterday.

Speaking to #TheTopRunner before departing for Europe Richardson revealed that he had actually been in good 100m form and had planned to double up at the national championships but the scheduling of the Athletics South Africa Senior Track and Field Championships forced him to focus on the 200m where he downed Wayde van Niekerk in 20.16 to secure automatic Olympic qualification.

Richardson cruises to victory to secure a maiden SA Senior Track & Field title. Photo Credit: Lifutso Mabua.

"With not even the perfect conditions, just good enough conditions I think I could have done something in the 100m. I cam here thinking I would do the 100m but the day before we decided on doing just one event because this is a different programme than it usually is. Everyone says a sub 20 will come before a sub 10 and I'm starting to believe that," he said after winning a maiden senior national title.

But everyone was wrong because just one hour and fifteen minutes after becoming only the 8th South African man to break ten seconds and the joint-fourth fastest African 100m sprinter of all time, Richardson dipped under twenty seconds for the first time when he produced 19.99 for second place at the Swiss meet.

Simbine, Walaza, Nkoana and Richardson at the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas in May where they secured Olympic qualification. Photo Credit: Anton Geyser.

His training partner Bradley Nkoana who is also coached by Paul Gorries at the University of The North West ran a lifetime best 10.03 in the same 100m race. Richardson, Nkoana, Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi and Bayanda Walaza now have strong case for a spot in that Olympic relay final against the Jamaicans and Americans. 19-year-old Nkoana is happy with they way his 2024 season is turning out. "I'm very happy with my progress. It's a big stage. You need to learn how to focus on yourself and not let the crowd get into your head."

For Richardson on the other hand, his performance this weekend will leave him confident that he can make his mark on #Paris2024, especially after beating the big guns at national level. "I'm here now and I don't want anyone pushing me around. There's someone new coming in the 200m," he warned.