Antonio Nortje, who was carrying the baton for the third leg, stumbled and fell flat on his face. Although he quickly got up and continued running, the team finished last with a time of 3 minutes and 3.19 seconds.
However, the team immediately appealed the decision, citing an obstruction by a Nigerian athlete that caused Nortje's fall. The appeal was successful, resulting in the reinstatement of South Africa's spot in the final race, which will be contested on Saturday night.
"We were obstructed ... actually twice — just before the handover and just after the handover," said Jean Verster, the athletics team manager. "[A runner] cut in front of Nortje, the second one, and feet clashed and he went down hard and so we appealed that and they reinstated us."
This isn't the first time South Africa's 4x400m team has secured a spot in the Olympic final through an appeal. They achieved the same feat at the London 2012 Olympics.
"It was a very aggressive handover," Lythe Pillay said after the race. "As long as he knows that we love and we support him — we run together, we die together. When we lose, one thing that remains is that we still stay consistent, we still stay together."
If Van Niekerk joins the team for the final, he will likely replace Nortje, who unfortunately fell during the heats. The team's performance during the heats was a testament to their unwavering commitment and resilience.
Other South African Performances
Aside from the men's 4x400m relay, South Africa had a mixed bag of performances on Friday morning. Other athletes who fought hard but fell short of their goals include:
Edmund du Plessis
Edmund du Plessis, a fourth-year medical student at Tuks University, narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 800m final. He finished his semifinal heat in 1 minute 45.34 seconds, a mere 0.18 seconds behind the second runner who claimed the last automatic qualifying spot.
Despite missing out on the final, du Plessis was in high spirits and remained positive about his performance.
"I’m a bit disappointed, but I’m also happy," he said. "Because I saw now with the race of these guys ... and being able to race with them and come to a dip to the line and missing out in the final with 0.2 of a second, I mean, it’s also a nice feeling."
Balancing his studies and athletic training is a challenging task for du Plessis, but he remains committed to both.
"It’s difficult," he admitted. "It’s a lot of late night studies and early mornings and sometimes I’m frustrated ... You can't study as much as you want to study and you can't train as much as you want to train. And I want to do [well] in the studies and I also want to do [well] in athletics."
Hamish Lovemore and Andy Birkett
In the kayaking event, the South African duo of Hamish Lovemore and Andy Birkett finished sixth in their K2 500m semifinal heat, just 0.19 seconds away from securing a spot in the A final. Despite missing out on the A final, they ended up 12th overall after finishing fourth in the B final.
Despite their impressive performances, Lovemore and Birkett acknowledged the challenges they faced as marathon specialists transitioning to sprint kayaking.
"For marathon specialists who have tried to become sprinters in the past six months, Lovemore and Birkett have done exceptionally well," a commentator remarked. "What might they have achieved had this been a long-term focus?"
Marioné Fourie
Marioné Fourie had a disappointing performance in the women's 100m hurdles semifinals. She finished sixth in her heat, with a time of 13.03 seconds.
A Day of Mixed Results
The South African athletes' performances on Friday were a mixed bag of successes and near misses. While the 4x400m relay team's dramatic appeal delivered a much-needed boost, other athletes like du Plessis and Fourie experienced disappointment. Lovemore and Birkett, however, showcased remarkable resilience and adaptability in their transition to a new event. The remaining days of competition will likely witness a continuation of this rollercoaster ride of emotions for the South African contingent as they strive to secure more medals and leave their mark on the global stage.
