Tokyo Olympics: SA trio reach 200m semi-finals. Here’s when they will run

All three of Team SA’s men’s Tokyo Olympics 200m sprinters qualified for the semi-finals of the event by coming through their Tuesday morning heats at the Tokyo Stadium.

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Racing in three different heats, Clarence Munyai posted the fastest time of the trio in finishing fourth behind American Noah Lyles.

Munyai clocked a season’s best 20.49.

Shaun Maswanganyi (20.58) and Anaso Jobodwana (20.78) also ensured they’d be in action later.

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First up was the 29-year-old Jobodwana, in his third Olympics, having competed at London 2012 – where he reached the final – and at Rio 2016.

The 29-year-old came to Tokyo 2020 with a CV rich in achievements, with his bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships in a national record 19.87 being his biggest achievement.

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Here he shot out the blocks in lane four and no one had reacted quicker to the starter’s gun than him.

With the first three finishers in each heat automatically going through to the semi-finals, Jobodwana was always comfortable and crossed the line third in 20.78, behind Jamaican Rasheed Dwyer and Nigerian Divine Oduduru.

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Maswanganyi had got a feel of the Tokyo Stadium track in the 100m where he had reached the semi-finals. With the 20-year-old admitting to understandably feeling nervous for his first race, he had acquitted himself admirably and was now looking forward to the 200m, which suited him better.

The youngster created a strong impression in his heat, making a fast start and crossing the line with Jereem Richards, being handed second spot in 20.58.

Munyai was the third of the South African trip of sprinters in morning action and he competed from lane three in the seventh and final heat. The holder of the national record (19.69 set in 2018), he has a future full of promise and was looking to show the world what he is made off at Tokyo 2020.

He didn’t disapppoint. Although he finished fourth behind Lyle, he had daylight to spare over the athlete behind him and his time of 20.49 was comfortably enough within the three fastest non-automatic qualifiers to progress to the semis.

The trio will be in action later on Tuesday, 3 August seeking a place in the eight-man final.

Judging by their times it appears highly unlikely any of the trio will do so however.

But, one lives in hope!

Anaso Jobodwana will run in the first semi-final out of Lane 3 at 13:50 SA time.

Clarence Munyai will take to the start at 13:58 in the second semi-final out of Lane 2, while Shaun Maswanganyi gets his bid for a place in the final under way at 14:06 out of Lane 8.