SA Senior Athletics Championships – Day 2 Finals Recap (25 April 2025)
- Karen Scheepers
- Apr 26
- 5 min read
The second day of the SA Senior Athletics Championships at Puk McArthur Stadium in Potchefstroom delivered a stunning showcase of South Africa’s rising and established athletic stars. With national titles, junior records, and several dramatic performances on the line, Friday’s action-packed programme kept the energy electric from the first event to the last. Here’s a full breakdown of the finals results, standout moments, and key highlights from Day Two.
Hammer Throw (Women)
Leandri Holtzhausen dominated the hammer throw, taking gold with a heave of 66.97m, just shy of her own national record (67.95m) ofm.co.za. In a surprise, discus champion Colette Uys added the silver medal with a 65.53m throw, a massive personal best. Former record-holder Marga Cumming had to settle for bronze (around 60m), well behind the top two. Holtzhausen’s winning mark was one of the best in SA champs history, underscoring her national dominance.
Pole Vault (Women)
Ansume de Beer, only 17, soared to gold in the women’s pole vault by clearing 4.10m, claiming her first senior national title timeslive.co.za. She upset more seasoned vaulters with that jump. No records fell, but de Beer’s victory as a junior was a standout performance. The silver and bronze medalists finished at lower heights (around the 3.80m–4.00m range), underlining de Beer’s clear win.
High Jump (Men)
Former world U18 champion Breyton Poole claimed his first senior high jump title, earning gold with a clearance of 2.20m timeslive.co.za. Poole and Tshepang Dankuru both jumped 2.20m, but Poole won on countback, leaving Dankuru with the silver ofm.co.za. The bronze went to a jump of around 2.15m (cleared by a competitor from ACNW). This tight contest came down to misses, as Poole kept a clean card at 2.20m. It was a gratifying win for Poole after years of chasing a senior title.
3000m Steeplechase (Women)
Carina Siegers of Athletics Gauteng North took gold in the women’s steeplechase, clocking 10:53.34 ofm.co.za. It was a tactical, relatively slow race in which Siegers pulled away on the final laps. The silver and bronze medalists finished some distance behind (over 11 minutes), as no one challenged Siegers in the final kilometer. No records were threatened in this event, but Siegers’ win added another national title to her name.
4×100m Mixed Relay
In the mixed 4×100m relay (two men and two women per team), Athletics Gauteng North sprinted to the gold medal. Their quartet won in a solid time (mid-43 seconds), leveraging strong legs from their male sprinters. Central Gauteng Athletics took silver, and the host province Athletics Central North West earned bronze. This mixed-gender relay was an exciting addition, while no national record was noted, the top teams exchanged batons smoothly to clinch the medals.
Triple Jump (Women)
Multiple national champion Zinzi Xulu (CGA) secured gold in the triple jump with a leap of 13.44m timeslive.co.za. Her winning jump was nearly half a meter beyond anyone else’s, an emphatic victory. The remaining podium spots went to Patience Ntshingila and Johani van Tonder, who managed jumps in the mid-12-meter range for silver and bronze respectively. Xulu’s performance stood out as she reclaimed her title, while her competitors were left well behind (no records were broken, as the national record stands over 14m).
400m Hurdles (Men)
At age 30, Sabelo Dhlamini delivered a masterclass to win gold in the men’s 400m hurdles, running a personal-best 48.57s ofm.co.za. Dhlamini’s time was just 0.07s off the World Championships qualifying mark, and he collapsed in joy after earning his maiden national title. Njabulo Mbatha, an 18-year-old rising star, claimed silver in 49.28s, and Martiens du Preez took bronze in 49.55s, as all three medalists broke the 50-second barrier. The defending champion was relegated off the podium in a race where Dhlamini finally triumphed after four years of trying. (Fun fact: Dhlamini had been runner-up last year and overcame past hurdle mishaps to win this time.)
400m Hurdles (Women)
Olympic semifinalist Zeney Geldenhuys comfortably defended her title, winning gold in 55.09s, her fifth national 400m hurdles crown citizen.co.za. Geldenhuys led from the gun and finished well clear of the field. Tumi Ramokgopa, just 17, earned silver in 55.90s (a big lifetime best for her). Hannah van Niekerk took bronze in 56.67s, adding a medal to her 2024 World U20 bronze achievement. Geldenhuys expressed satisfaction that her time was edging closer to the sub-55 mark, while Ramokgopa’s breakthrough signaled a bright future.
Discus Throw (Men)
Veteran thrower Victor Hogan (Boland) continued his reign, clinching gold with a best throw of 61.11m timeslive.co.za. This victory marked Hogan’s 11th national title in the discus, underlining his dominance. The rest of the field lagged behind; the silver and bronze medalists threw in the high-50s (around 57–58m range). No one could surpass 60m besides Hogan, so his win was never in doubt. (Hogan, a former World Champs finalist, showed he’s still the class of the field at age 36.)
Long Jump (Men)
Commonwealth bronze medalist Jovan van Vuuren timed his return to form perfectly, leaping 8.00m to take gold in the men’s long jump citizen.co.za. In a tight contest, defending champion Cheswill Johnson had to settle for silver with 7.97m, just 3 cm behind. Divaan Manuel (Boland) secured bronze with a strong 7.93m jump ofm.co.za. A notable storyline was the return of former world champion Luvo Manyonga, in his comeback, Manyonga reached 7.68m to finish 6th, showing flashes of ability but still “a little rusty” after time away from competition. Van Vuuren’s win, after missing last year’s champs due to injury, was especially sweet.
Notable Heats/Semifinals Highlights
Gift Leotlela, the newly crowned 100m champion (who ran 9.99s to win on Day 1), suffered an injury 18 hours later in the 200m heats on Friday. He pulled up coming off the bend in his heat and collapsed to the track, ending his 200m campaign timeslive.co.za. This unexpected DNF/elimination of a favorite opened up the men’s 200m field. (Luckily, Leotlela’s coach later indicated it was likely just a hamstring nerve tweak, not a serious tear.) In Leotlela’s absence, Bayanda Walaza posted the fastest 200m heat time of the morning with 20.21s, establishing himself as the half-lap favorite.
In the men’s 400m semifinals, Leendert Koekemoer (19) blazed to 45.03s, breaking a 31-year-old South African U20 record (45.15 from 1994) ofm.co.za. Koekemoer’s blistering run, finishing just 0.01s behind top qualifier Gardeo Isaacs in the semi, was one of the performances of the day. His new junior record signals a major talent coming up in the 400m. (All the main contenders advanced to the 400m final, setting up a clash with veterans and the rising stars on Day 3.)
The men’s 800m semifinals went largely to form, with favorites advancing to the final. No records were set, but the races were competitive. Notably, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso successfully navigated her 800m and 1500m heats on Friday, keeping her double-gold defense on track athletics.africa. Her presence in the women’s 800m final, along with a strong field in the men’s 800m, promises excitement on Day 3.
Day Two at Potchefstroom proved why the SA Senior Athletics Championships remain one of the country’s most anticipated events. From comeback victories to historic junior records and unexpected drama, the performances on Friday set the stage for an unforgettable final day. As the championships move toward their thrilling conclusion, all eyes now turn to the big finals on Saturday, including the showdowns in the 400m, 800m, 200m, and the much-anticipated relay battles.
Stay tuned for more incredible action and emerging champions!
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