{"id":30012,"date":"2025-09-22T13:05:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T11:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=30012"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:49:19","slug":"sa-4x400m-relay-how-much-they-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/sa-4x400m-relay-how-much-they-get\/","title":{"rendered":"SA 4x400m Relay Bags Bronze in Tokyo \u2013 Here&#8217;s How Much Each Athlete Walks Away With"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>South Africa\u2019s 4x400m relay team thrilled the nation on Sunday, ending an eight-year medal drought at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Wayde van Niekerk, and Zakithi Nene produced a stunning finish to claim bronze in a nail-biting race that went down to thousandths of a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sa-4x400m-relay-historic-podium-finish\">SA 4x400m Relay Historic Podium Finish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The SA quartet crossed the line in 2:57.83, matching the United States\u2019 time but narrowly beaten to silver by just 0.002 seconds. Botswana clinched gold with 2:57.76, leaving South Africa to celebrate a hard-fought bronze \u2013 the country\u2019s first medal at a world championship since 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The medal was more than just a number; it was a morale boost for the nation and proof that SA sprinting still competes at the highest level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc05\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc00 \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc0e \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc07\ud835\udc04 \ud835\udc16\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc0b\ud835\udc03 \ud83c\udf0d\ud83e\udd47<br><br>Team Botswana win the continent&#39;s \ud835\udc1f\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d-\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2f\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b Gold medal in the Men&#39;s 4x400m relay \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfc\ud83c\udfc6<br><br>South Africa takes bronze \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6\ud83e\udd49<br><br>\ud83d\udcfa Stream <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WCHTokyo25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#WCHTokyo25<\/a> on DStv: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rM90YyQxaw\">https:\/\/t.co\/rM90YyQxaw<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7JWu5hxS7e\">pic.twitter.com\/7JWu5hxS7e<\/a><\/p>&mdash; SuperSport \ud83c\udfc6 (@SuperSportTV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SuperSportTV\/status\/1969726836075569658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 21, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3869832584\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-much-did-they-earn\">How Much Did They Earn?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the 2025 World Championships, World Athletics allocated over US$8.5 million in<a href=\"https:\/\/africa.espn.com\/olympics\/story\/_\/id\/46240621\/prize-money-gold-medal-world-record-bonus-2025-world-athletics-championships-tokyo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> prize money <\/a>across 49 events. For relay teams, the payout looked like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gold:<\/strong> US$80,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Silver:<\/strong> US$40,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bronze:<\/strong> US$20,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>4th\u20138th places:<\/strong> US$16,000\u2013US$4,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa\u2019s bronze earned the team <strong>US$20,000 (roughly R370,000)<\/strong>, with each athlete taking home <strong>US$5,000 (around R92,000)<\/strong> before taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While modest compared to global football or tennis payouts, it\u2019s a substantial reward in athletics and could lead to sponsorship opportunities and endorsements for the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nene-and-the-team-react\">Nene and the Team React<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Zakithi Nene, who narrowly missed out on an individual 400m medal, admitted the relay bronze was a relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe had our objectives for the relay and I think we delivered, as expected,\u201d Nene said. \u201cThe guys ran really well, set me up, and I was glad I could deliver. I\u2019m proud of my brothers \u2013 this is just the start of what\u2019s ahead for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Their collective focus and teamwork proved crucial, turning disappointment from earlier events into podium success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">One of the races of the 2025 World Athletics Championships \u203c\ufe0f<br><br>Barely anything can separate Botswana, USA and South Africa in the men&#39;s 4x400m relay \ud83e\udd2f<br><br>\ud83e\udd47 Botswana \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfc (2:57.76) <br>\ud83e\udd48 USA \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (2:57.83) <br>\ud83e\udd49 South Africa \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6 (2:57.83) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cMXkY2Xnxt\">pic.twitter.com\/cMXkY2Xnxt<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AW (@AthleticsWeekly) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AthleticsWeekly\/status\/1969725906160861552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 21, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3855959879\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-this-matters-for-sa-athletics\">Why This Matters for SA Athletics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This bronze is more than a medal \u2013 it\u2019s a statement. Athletics South Africa has struggled on the world stage in recent years, and this finish signals a revival of competitive sprinting. It\u2019s also a motivational boost for upcoming athletes looking to follow in the footsteps of van Niekerk and Pillay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Financially, the prize money is significant but symbolic; the real reward is national pride and recognition on the global stage. Each athlete now has a tangible reminder of their hard work and a launchpad for future competitions, including the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-than-money-a-medal-to-remember\">More Than Money: A Medal to Remember<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While the bronze brought <strong>R92,000 to each athlete<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/sport\/sa-relay-team-bronze-end-eight-year-medal-drought\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the moment<\/a> itself carries far more weight. In just under three minutes, the SA team rewrote the narrative of the championships, proving that determination, teamwork, and resilience still define South African athletics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Tokyo now behind them, the 4x400m relay squad has set the bar high, leaving fans excited for the next chapter in the country\u2019s sprinting story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/simbine-and-sekgodisos-big-cash-wins-at-the-2025-world-athletics-indoor-championships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Simbine and Sekgodiso\u2019s Big Cash Wins at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Africa\u2019s 4x400m relay team thrilled the nation on Sunday, ending an eight-year medal drought at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Wayde van Niekerk, and Zakithi Nene produced a stunning finish to claim bronze in a nail-biting race that went down to thousandths of a second. SA 4x400m Relay Historic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":30013,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"South Africa\u2019s 4x400m relay team thrilled the nation on Sunday, ending an eight-year medal drought at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Lythe Pillay,...","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[11108,1416],"class_list":{"0":"post-30012","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-latest-sports-news","10":"tag-sa-athletics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30012"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30014,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30012\/revisions\/30014"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}