Teboho Setena
The World Athletics Championship beckons for Free State 400m track runner Mthi Mthimkulu.
This comes with him qualifying as a member of the South African team to compete in this year’s championships, to be held in Tokyo from 13 to 21 September.
Mthimkulu was a key member of both the men’s and mixed 4 x 400m relay teams which competed in the World Athletics Relay in Guangzhou, China, held on Saturday and Sunday, 10 and 11 May. In the men’s 4 x 400m relay on Saturday, Mthimkulu and his teammates Udeme Okon, Lythe Pillay, Leendert Koekemoer and Zakithi Nene won their heat in 3:00.00. This was the fastest time in the world this year and the fastest qualifiers.
Mthimkulu followed on his sterling form by participating in the mixed relay, where the team finished fifth.
His selection by the governing federation, Athletics South Africa (ASA), for the just-ended showpiece in China and qualifying for another global event in Tokyo followed his continued drastic improvement. This was a continuation of his performance on home front, in the ASA Grand Prix International Championship.
Mthimkhulu, a student at the University of the State (UFS), won the 400m race with a personal best (PB) of 45.76 seconds at the ASA Grand Prix tournament.
Currently ranked among the top six in South Africa, Mthimkulu will be among the more than 2 000 competitors from some 200 countries to showcase their talent at the forthcoming spectacle in Tokyo.
“The relay world championships have really been a great experience; I really enjoyed the travelling and interacting with my teammates,” said Mthimkulu.
The lanky runner from Virginia is not new to fierce international competition, having previously competed in 2022 at the junior world championships in Colombia. He has dominated the Free State Champions in the 400m since he began competing in the U16 and U19 categories.
Mthimkulu’s rapid rise is toward realisation of his dream to compete globally. While competing as a junior, Mthimkhulu had said: “But I am going to do my absolute best. I want to improve in every race that I start.”
In 2022, Mthimkulu attained the best time in the 400m (47.48) at the Athletics Free State Championships, with 20.94 in the 200m at a league meeting, and 10.68 in the 100 m.
