Sibanda now second fastest 400m junior runner
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday August 16, 2016 14:57
The feat means Sibanda is now the second fastest Under-20 runner in the world behind Baboloki Thebe with a time of 44:22.
The 18-year-old Sibanda was pitted against the world’s fastest 400m runner, Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa who broke a 17-year-old record when he clocked 43:03. He beat American, Michael Johnson’s record of 43:18 set in 1999.
Kirani James and Lashawn Merritt finished second and third respectively, but it was Sibanda, the youngest in the 400m final, who provided Botswana with a glimpse of what the future holds.
He had already set a new personal record when he crossed the line in 44:47 in the semi-finals before bettering the mark in the final.
Although the Rio campaign is yet to yield a medal, it has seen promising performances from Lydia Jele (400m), Sibanda, Thebe and swimmer, David van der Colff.
Thebe was unfortunate after he was ruled out by an injury when he had qualified for the semi-finals.
However, there have been disappointments from the experienced duo of Isaac Makwala and Nijel Amos.
Makwala was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 400m while Amos bombed out in the preliminaries of the 800m finishing a disappointing seventh.