Even without some marquee stars, sparkling performances at the national athletics championships underlined the depth of talent and the rising prospects.

Defending champions Akani Simbine, Lythe Pillay, Marioné Fourie and Jo-Ane du Plessis all chose to compete at the opening Diamond League meet in China on Saturday, with mixed results, while 400m world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk stayed home after the birth of his second child.

No problem. The likes of Prudence Sekgodiso, the 800m world indoor champion, and 400m runner Zakithi Nene delivered power performances over the three days of competition.

They were among eight athletes to achieve automatic qualifying standards for the world championships in Tokyo in September during the meet.

Sekgodiso (800m), Nene (400m), Sinesipho Dambile (200m) and teenager Bayanda Walaza (100m and 200m) had already hit the criteria before the national showpiece, with another four first-timers joining them.

Gift Leotlela (100m), Naeem Jack (200m), Abdurahman Karriem (200m) and Charné Swart-Du Plessis (women’s 800m) added their names to a list that now numbers 19 in all.

Eight women and 11 men have made their claim to get into the national team, though at least one of the men will have to drop out.

Four men have qualified for each of the 100m and 200m, and while that is great news for the men’s 4x100m relay team that won Olympic silver in Paris last year, it’s an over-subscription for individual spots.

Countries are allotted a maximum of three entrants per event at the global spectacle.

That means Simbine, Benjamin Richardson, Walaza and Leotlela are fighting for three 100m spots while Dambile, Jack, Karriem and Walaza are in a tussle for three 200m berths.

Who will miss out remains to be seen since the Athletics South Africa selection criteria suggest the final decision will depend on their form in the final weeks or so leading up to Japan.

There could be two casualties unless Walaza, who has qualified in both sprints, falls out in both events or even just one.

The qualification system for the world championships also allows for athletes who don’t achieve the automatic standards to gain entry via their world rankings.

Each event has a maximum number of available slots, like 36 for field events, 40 for the hurdles and 48 for the sprints.

Once the automatic qualifiers are determined at the time the qualifying window closes on August 24, the remaining spots go to athletes with the highest world rankings.

As things stand — and they are likely to change significantly in the next four months — a further 32 athletes could still find themselves being invited to Tokyo.

That would lift the team size to a whopping 50 or so, excluding any relay-only selections.

It’s likely that several of those will drop out once the season gets into full swing in Europe, though equally there could also be a few additions.

But 40 could be a more realistic total, which would still surpass the biggest team in recent years, the 36 who went to the last world championships at Budapest 2023.

And this time the split between men and women could be the most even it’s been to date.

Despite the dramas within the realm of the national athletics administration, the sport appears to be growing healthily on the track.

Miranda Coetzee (400m), Prudence Sekgodiso (800m), Charné Swart-Du Plessis (800m), Marioné Fourie (100m hurdles), Zeney Geldenhuys (400m hurdles), Rogail Joseph (400m hurdles); Jo-Ane du Plessis (javelin), Glenrose Xaba (marathon). 

Akani Simbine (100m), Benjamin Richardson (100m), Bayanda Walaza (100m, 200m), Gift Leotlela (100m), Sinesipho Dambile (200m), Naeem Jack (200m), Abdurahman Karriem (200m), Zakithi Nene (400m), Tshepo Tshite (1,500m), Adriaan Wildschutt (5,000m, 10,000m), Elroy Gelant (marathon).