Zakhithi Nene surprised by Commonwealth Games bronze medal

By Charles Baloyi
2nd August 2026

South African 400m star Zakhithi Nene says he was surprised to walk away with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after not expecting to even make the final.

The multiple South African champion squeezed into the final as one of the fastest losers and admitted that he felt fortunate just to get another chance to compete.

However, in the final, the KwaZulu-Natal-born sprinter produced a strong performance to finish third in 45.21 seconds and claim his first major international medal.

Nene said he was relieved and proud to see his name among the medallists after fighting hard to make South Africa proud.

"I think I just didn't show up in the heats and I put myself in a position where I was given a lane in the final as one of the fastest losers. Coming into the final race I just had to shift my focus and I decided that I'm not leaving Scotland without any silverware and that's what I did."

READ: Sinesipho Dambile wins his first major international medal in style

The 28-year-old arrived in Glasgow carrying high expectations after enjoying excellent form on the European circuit.

Many believed he could challenge for gold, but things did not go according to plan. Nene admitted that he was puzzled by his disappointing semi-final performance and the struggle he faced before eventually securing the bronze medal.

Despite being one of the pre-race favourites, Nene said he had to accept the result and appreciate the medal he earned.

He believed he had the ability to fight for gold, but he made no excuses for not delivering the performance he wanted when it mattered most.

"Once you have your cards laid out in front of you, you just have to make the most of it and that's what I did. I knew I was more than capable of bringing back a bronze medal at the very least."

Nene believes the bronze medal does not define his career and that he still has the potential to achieve much more on the international stage.

The South African star is now looking ahead to the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Hungary in September, the 2027 World Championships in China, and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where he hopes to compete for the top honours.