The South African team arrived in Gaborone, Botswana early on Thursday morning with one thing in mind - defending their title at the World Athletics Relays to be held on Saturday and Sunday.
Last year, the SA squad finished top of the overall table with three medals (two gold and one bronze). While the team are missing a handful of first-choice athletes due to injuries, national relay coach Werner Prinsloo believes they have enough depth to retain their global crown.
"As long as we step on to that track we are contenders, no matter what the team looks like, and the guys have proven it over the years. They will bring it on the day, for sure," Prinsloo said on the sidelines of a training camp held at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg ahead of the team's departure. These training camps are good for everybody to gel, and that's one part of it, to make sure there is cohesion in the team and then the performance will happen."
The captain of the men's team, national 100m record holder Akani Simbine, was equally confident that they could come out on top. "The guys believe they can do it. We're going to Botswana as the defending champs and I know we have a good team that can compete against the guys who are there," Simbine said.
"I always say when you go into a competition you need to know your competitors, and with our team and the guys we have, I know we can compete against the other teams."
In-form athlete Marlie Viljoen, the captain of the women's team, felt like the SA team had home ground advantage by competing at a major championship in a neighbouring country.
"Most of us have run on that track (in Gaborone) because we go there for the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, and it's a 40-minute flight for us, so it feels like we're just going to Cape Town to run," Viljoen said. "I definitely think that helps because you feel the African support, and I think that's an advantage for us and we're definitely going to use that when it comes to race day."
SA TEAM, WORLD ATHLETICS RELAYS
4x100m men: Akani Simbine, Bradley Nkoana, Cheswill Johnson, Mvuyo Moss, Retshidisitswe Mlenga, Tsebo Matsoso
4x100m women: Viwe Jingqi, Joviale Mbisha, Gabriella Marais, Rume Burger, Kayla la Grange
4x400m men: Zakithi Nene, Lythe Pillay, Udeme Okon, Gardeo Isaacs, Leendert Koekemoer, Bradley Maponyane
4x400m women: Marlie Viljoen, Tumi Ramokgopa, Christi Loggenberg, Hannah van Niekerk, Jada van Staden, Isabella Gunter
4x400m mixed: Rogail Joseph, Precious Molepo, Mia de Beer, Mthi Mthimkulu, Antonie Nortje, Daniel Briel.