Zakithi Nene left the competition in the dust when he flew to the fastest 400m in the world this year at the Kip Keino Classic held in Nairobi over the weekend. And get this – he’s now the second South African athlete EVER to run the one-lap distance in under 44 seconds!
Nairobi, Kenya (02 June 2025) – Exciting things are happening in SA, and when it comes to our athletes, well, they are just smashing records left, right and centre!
One of the latest sportsmen to leave us bursting with pride was Zakithi Nene, who set a new world lead in the men’s 400m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on Saturday.
According to Supersport, the national champion blazed the track and stopped the clock at 43.76 seconds, becoming the second SA athlete to run under 44 seconds over the one-lap distance after world record holder Wayde van Niekerk.
Zakithi finished well ahead of Nigerian athlete Chidi Okezie, by more than a second, shaving half a second off his personal best time of 44.22 he set at the South African Championships earlier this year. The sprinter’s epic 43.76 performance now propels the 27-year-old to 16th on the world all-time list, World Athletics reports.
Another one of our sprinting faves at the athletics event was Bayanda Walaza, who also impressed in the men’s 100m race, securing second place following hiccups with the race as athletes were called back by the starter moments after taking off. He delivered another impressive result nonetheless, crossing the finish line in 10.03, with Lachlan Kennedy of Australia securing top spot in 9.98.
A proud James Moloi, who was re-elected as the President of Athletics South Africa on Saturday, said he was proud of Zakithi’s performance and the leading time he set in the process.
“He is just flying on the track with continued brilliant performances. We congratulate him, the coaches and their support team for such an achievement.”
Sources: Supersport | World Athletics
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