Another athletics meet, another hugely impressive performance from South Africa’s 800m star, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso.
This time it was at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, where she clocked a personal best, leading from start to finish over the two laps and winning in 1min 57.16sec. This was also a meet record and 0.1 seconds faster than her pervious best from last year.
Sekgodiso, who placed herself in the international spotlight when reaching the final of the Paris Olympics, was in control after the second pacemaker dropped out on the back straight and never looked in trouble as she stayed comfortably in front of training partner Oratile Nowe of Botswana and Nigist Getachew of Ethiopia.
Nowe overhauled Getachew in the sprint for the line to take second place in a 1:57.49 national record. The East African was third in 1:58.02.
Other South Africans in action were Douw Smit who finished second in the men’s javelin, throwing an 84.12m best to finish behind India’s multiple Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra on 85.29.
Smit also cleared 80m on three other throws.
Tshepo Tshite, fresh from his 3:31.35 South African 1500m record in Paris on Friday night, ended ninth in 3:34.14.
Eleven South African athletes feature in the world’s top 20 performers list and the event provides an opportunity to many of these athletes, and those on the cusp of the list, to climb the ranks.
Zakithi Nene remains number one in the men’s 400m, while Akani Simbine, Adriaan Wildschutt, and Prudence Sekgodiso feature in the top five.
2025 WORLD RANKINGS (Top 20)
MEN
100m: 4th Akani Simbine 9.90sec, 8th Bayanda Walaza 9.94sec
200m: 10th Sinesipho Dambile 20.01sec, 17th Bayanda Walaza 20.08sec
400m: 1st Zakithi Nene 43.76sec
1500m: 19th Tshepo Tshite 3:31.35min
5 000m: 18th Adriaan Wildschutt 12:55.02min
10 000m: 3rd Adriaan Wildschutt 26:51.27min
WOMEN
800m: 3rd Prudence Sekgodiso 1:57.16min
10 000m: 16th Dominique Scott 31:02.32min
100mH: 15th Marione Fourie 12.60min
400mH: 12th Zeney van der Walt 54.25min
Javelin: 11th Jo-Ane du Plessis 62.77m