'I want to be in the final of the World Championships' - Nene confident after 43.76 PB in Kenya
- Thathe Msimango
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
South African sprint sensation Zakithi Nene put on a wonderful performance, clocking a World Lead 43:76 to win the 400m at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya on Saturday (31 May). By doing so, Nene became only the second SA athlete after World record holder Wayde van Niekerk (43:03) to dip under 44 seconds. Speaking to #TheTopRunner, the 27-year-old one lap specialist who hails from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal-Natal, says he is still in disbelief, even though he always knew that 2025 would be a productive season.
"I'm very happy with the performance I showcased at the Keino Classic. I expected the race to be fast but I never expected to be 43.76 fast. I'm still trying to let it all sink in because there are so many emotions going through my head right now. Overall, I'm very happy with the way I executed the race along with the time I ran. Although there were signs leading up to the race, I didn't expect it to happen so soon. I ran two 43 second at the World Relays and 44.22 in SA nationals. So it was just a matter of when,” said an elated Nene who is coached by Victor Vaz.
It was the third time this season that the Olympian bettered his personal best time. In April, he ran 44:68 during a Continental Golden Grand Prix meet in Botswana and then a fortnight later he lowered that lifetime best to 44:22 to win the national title at the ASA Senior Track and field Championships in Potchefstroom. Asked about the recipe to these remarkable performances this season, Nene revealed that he has made some adjustments to his way of doing things.
"I have changed a bit of the race models and I think it’s working for me now. I have tried a couple of times now. Some days, I just allow the race to unfold. I have always been grounded, a humble guy. I don't think these results will change me. The most important thing is to stick to my values,” explains Nene, who has represented the country in the last two editions of Olympics in Paris and Tokyo
His next focus is to get a medal in the World Championship scheduled in Tokyo, Japan later this year. Nene has competed at two world Championships in Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023 where he failed to reach the finals on both occasions. This time around he believes he is in the perfect shape to earn a spot in the last eight.
"Going forward, I think the plan is to keep this momentum and continue to run fast and win races. The success of the last couple of races has given me confidence. I want to feature in the final of World Championships. That has been the objective for the season. Once you are in a final, then you can start talking about the medal."
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