Johannesburg - South African sprinting king Wayde van Niekerk is willing to add his name to a relay team for the Rio Olympic Games in August provided the rest of the team were able to pull their weight.
Van Niekerk could be key in both a 4x400m and 4x100m relay team thanks to his world-class times over both distances.
South Africa currently boast with three athletes - Van Niekerk, Akani Simbine, and Henricho Bruintjies - that have run sub-10 seconds times in the 100m dash.
National 200m record holder and world bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana could complete a potent quartet while a host of emerging talent is waiting in the wings.
Should a 4x100m relay team qualify for the Games, and enough time, and effort are invested to prepare them for the global showpiece, another medal could be on the cards.
“I can’t expect another person to rely on me if I am not fit enough, and I feel it should be the same towards me,” Van Niekerk said.
“Everyone in the team should be fit enough, and everybody should be capable and be able to go out there and get a medal.
“There is no use for us to just fill out lanes and just say we’ve been at the Olympics, my mindset is to go out there and get medals and represent our country as positive as possible.”
Van Niekerk was speaking in Midrand where he was announced as T-Systems South Africa's brand ambassador.
The sponsorship would see the telecommunications companies sponsor the start athlete and assist to launch the Wayde van Niekerk Foundation.
Van Niekerk believed a South African 4x100m relay team had the potential to not only compete at the Games but potentially win a medal.
“Look at the 4x100m at the moment there are top-class guys at the moment, there are top class guys there and I doubt anybody would say no to doing a relay with them,” he said.
“Because you can see and know there are great performances there because everyone can run a sub-10 and that is what we need at the Olympics.
“There is no use for us to just fill out lanes and just say we’ve been at the Olympics, my mindset is to go out there and get medals and represent our country as positive as possible.”
Athletics SA (ASA) has been dragging its feet to created opportunities for South African relay teams to qualify but next week’s Night Series meet in Pokwane on May 24 is a late attempt to qualify a squad.
The fourth and final meet of the series will see the country’s top athletes attempt to qualify in the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
The programme also include 4x800m and 4x1500m relays that will involve both junior and senior athletes.
As time is quickly running out for South Africa to qualify teams the athletes will have to post two qualifying times based on aggregate rankings to secure a place among the eight remaining places for the Games leaving little room for error.
A men’s 4x400m relay team has already made an attempt at the Doha Diamond League meeting last week where they failed to finish with Thapelo Phora pulled out during the race due to a hamstring injury.
Van Niekerk has been selected for a provisional 4x400m relay team in Polokwane that include Phora, Pieter Conradie, and Shaun de Jager with Jon Seelinger as reserve.
The 4x100m relay team will consist of South African 100m record holder Akani Simbine, former joint record holder Henricho Bruintjies, Lebokeng Sesele, and Emile Erasmus.
ASA has also assembled two potent women’s 4x400m and 4x100m relay teams for the Limpopo meet.
The 4x400m team will be spearheaded by Olympic silver medallist Caster Semenya, and will included hurdles ace Wenda Nel, Gena Lofstrand, Anuscha Nice, and Liza Kellerman.
Joint national 100m record holder Carina Horn will head up the 4x100m team that includes South African champion Allyssa Conley, Tebogo Mamatu, and Melissa Swanepoel.
Independent Media