The South African men's 4x100m relay team will medal at the upcoming World Relay Championships in Poland in May and at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Given South Africa's 4x100m-relay team's performance history, it is a bold statement to make. To Danie Cornelius, the national relay team's manager, it is a near given.  All it is going to take is less than 38 seconds of perfection. Cornelius considers it to be doable. 

It is has been 20 years since the South African 4x100m relay team has won a medal at the World Championships. Morne Nagel, Corne du Plessis, Lee-Roy Newton and Matthew Quin won gold in 2001 Edmonton. Up to now no South African 4x100m relay team ever reached an Olympic final. 

Cornelius believes statistics are only an indicator of what happened in the past.  One has got to live for the moment. That is why he wants 2021 to be a breakthrough year for the South African relay team.

In part his confidence sprouts from what happened during the 2019 World Championships in Doha. During the heats, the South African set a new Africa and national record running 37.65s. They were fifth in the final with a time of 37.73s. The result could have been better if it was not for mistakes made. 

"We are planning to have quite a few national relay camps in the buildup to the World Relay Championships. One of the things I had discussed with the national coach, Paul Gorries, is that we should experiment changing the athletes' running order.

"Personally, I would like to see what the team is capable of when Clarence Munyai starts with Akani Simbine running the back straight. I think they could put us in the lead. It will put every other team under pressure. We all know that is when mistakes are made. The Americans might even get rattled.

"Maybe Thando Dlodlo should run the bend. If there are no mistakes, it won't matter who runs the final leg. It could be Simon Magakwe, Luxolo Adams or any other sprinter. We are actually at the moment spoilt for choice as there are so many young talented sprinters. The plan is to give everyone a chance to stake a claim to a place in the team. 

"Another thing we shall have to work on is to get every athlete to realise that to run a good relay means being utterly focussed for the whole race. It takes only one split second of lapsed concentration or one mistake to lose a race. I know on a good day with no errors, there will be no limits.  The South African could even get close to dipping under 37 seconds.

"Most of the 4x100m relay athletes are based at Tuks, making it easier to organise training camps."

According to Cornelius, the TuksAthletics manager, South Africa's 4x400m-relay team can also medal in Poland and Tokyo. 

"But I want our focus, for now, to be on the 4x100m relay. It is a case of first things first. One breakthrough will be a confidence booster for everyone."

As things stand, Cornelius expects that South Africa might only enter four teams for the World Relays - men's 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and a mixed relay team. The Champs will be held 1-2 May in Chorzow, Poland.

"As far as women's teams are concerned, I would like our focus to be on the juniors. With both our top female sprinters, Carina Horn and Tebogo Mamatu, suspended for possible doping infringements there is no chance of qualifying a senior team in the 4x100m-relay. We also don't have a lot of depth in the 4x400m. 

"The women's team selected to compete in the 4x100m relay at the World Junior Champs should form the core for the team that could compete at the Paris Olympic Games. The aim should be to get the team to be good enough to medal at the 2028 Games."