Zakithi Nene, one of the world’s fastest sprinters, didn’t just have a great season in 2025—he had a historic breakthrough. The South African star, who finished the year as the 5th best 400m athlete in the world, used a new mindset and race strategy to smash his previous best times, earning him a World Relays Gold Medal and a World Championship ( Tokyo 2025) Bronze Medal in the 4×400m relay with Team South Africa.
For years, Nene was stagnant, running consistently in the 44.7s to 44.8s range. His first goal was simply to break the 44.5sbarrier. Once he did, the times came tumbling down, culminating in an astonishing 43.76s personal best that felt “effortless.”
What You’ll Hear in the Full Chat:
In this episode of Raising the Flag, Nene goes deep on how he engineered his success:
- The Mental Shift: Discover why his speed came when he stopped being “fixated on the times” and instead focused on perfectly executing the phases of his race.
- The New Strategy: Nene details the new energy-conservation model he adopted to turn his biggest weakness (the final 100m) into his greatest strength.
- Injury & Redemption: Hear the incredible story of his Grade 2 hamstring tear five weeks before the World Championships, the pressure of his recovery, and the strategic mistake that ultimately taught him his biggest lesson.
- Team South Africa: Learn about his bond with mentor Akani Simbine and the high standard set by Wayde van Niekerk’s World Record.
Don’t just read about the breakthrough—watch the champion talk about it.
Hit play below to get the full story from Zakithi Nene on performance, resilience, and reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
