An overview shows Brazil's Renan Correa, US' Erriyon Knighton, Zimbabwe's Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Liberia's Joseph Fahnbulleh, Italy's Filippo Tortu and South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk competing in the men's 200m semi-final An overview shows Brazil's Renan Correa, US' Erriyon Knighton, Zimbabwe's Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Liberia's Joseph Fahnbulleh, Italy's Filippo Tortu and South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk competing in the men's 200m semi-final of Paris Olympics. Photo: Antonin Thuillier/AFP
South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk and Shaun Maswangayi were on Wednesday night eliminated from the men’s 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Van Niekerk, who had opted not to take part in his favoured 400m — of which he is the world record holder — was never a contender in the 200m, and was well off the pace as he finished last in a time of 20.72.
🏃![CDATA[]]>🏾𝕄![CDATA[]]>𝔼ℕ'𝕊 𝟚![CDATA[]]>𝟘![CDATA[]]>𝟘![CDATA[]]>𝕄 𝕊![CDATA[]]>𝔼![CDATA[]]>𝕄![CDATA[]]>𝕀-𝔽![CDATA[]]>𝕀ℕ𝔸![CDATA[]]>𝕃 🏃![CDATA[]]>🏾
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 7, 2024
Wayde van Niekerk placed 7th with a time of 20.72 🏃![CDATA[]]>🏾
Shaun Maswanganyi finished 4th with a time of 20.4🏃![CDATA[]]>🏾#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/dLJxPvboSa
The 32-year-old qualified for the Paris games against all odds after recovering from a potential career-ending injury, and shocked everyone when he pulled out of the 400m to focus on the 200m instead.
Earlier, Maswanganyi managed fourth place in his semi-final in a time of 20.42, and held on to hope he could one of the two non-automatic qualification spots for the final.
However, his elimination was confirmed when Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba and Fostine Eseosa Desalu of Italy posted times faster than his 20.42.
Meanwhile the Olympics 100m champion, Noah Lyles, stayed on track for the first Olympic men's sprint treble since Usain Bolt achieved the feat at the 2016 Rio Games.
In the women’s 400m semi-final, Miranda Coetzee was well off the pace, and was eliminated after finishing in eighth place.
Jo-Ane van Dyk impressed in the women’s javelin as her opening throw of 64.22m — a personal best — was enough to see her top Group A and advance to the final.
In the men’s high jump, Brian Raats’s first jump of 2.24 saw him qualify for the final in another top display by a South African on Wednesday.
In the men’s 800m, Edmund du Plessis placed second in his heat to book his place in the semi-final, while Marion Fourie will get another chance via the repechage after finishing fourth in her women’s 100m hurdles heat.
DIVING 🌊
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 7, 2024
Julia Vincent placed 13th, scoring 283.50 points in the Women's 3m Springboard Preliminary. She now advances to the semi-finals!#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/ZArHZLOvaw
All eyes will be on Hamish Lovemore after he impressed in the water on Wednesday.
Lovemore finished third in his heat of the men’s kayak, single 1000m heats to book his place of the quarter-finals. He later went on to place second in his quarter in a time of 3:36.64 to advance to the semi-finals.
Dusi king Andy Birkett didn’t have such a good time as he finished third in the same heat and was unable to progress to the semi-finals.
In the women’s kayak, single 500m, both Esti Olivier and Tiffany Koch did enough to reach the quarter-finals, but that’s as good as it for for them.
They were both eliminated after finishing 6th in their seperate quarter-fnals.
In the men’s spring cycling, Jean Spies did not advance to the next round after placing 29th in qualifying in a time of 9.962.
In men’s skateboarding park prelims, Team SA’s Dallas Oberholzer was also eliminated after only managing 23rd overall.
In the men’s boulder & Lead, semi-final, Mel Janse van Rensburg placed 20th and was eliminted as well.
IOL Sport