TRACK & FIELD
HER GOALS
Having already overcome some challenging hurdles in her youth , triple SA Champion Marioné Fourie is enjoying a golden year on the track . We caught up with the young hurdler just before she left for the world Junior Champs in Kenya . – BY SEAN FALCONER
It ’ s been quite some year for 19-year-old Tuks first year Sport Science student Marioné Fourie . After a full year of no racing due to COVID in 2020 , she returned to the track in 2021 and proceeded to win nearly everything . At the Gauteng North Champs on 27 March she won the 100m hurdles title in 13.80 seconds , and added a second place in the 100m dash with a personal best 12.18 . Then she claimed the hurdles gold at the ASA Under-20 ( Junior ) Champs in Paarl on 10 April , clocking 13.71 in the heats and a new personal best 13.47 in the final , beating the 13.49 she ran in the ASA Athletix Invitational Meeting in Roodepoort on 30 March .
Exactly one week after the Junior Champs , she lined up in the ASA Senior Champs in Pretoria and powered her way to the gold medal , with another 13.71 in the heats and a winning 13.54 in the final . But still she wasn ’ t done , adding the USSA ( student ) Champs title in 13.60 in mid-May .
“ I would not have believed it if someone told me that I would win three national titles this season .”
This is a season of collecting championship medals !
“ I would not have believed it if someone told me that I would win three national titles this season . Before this , I did not win that often - not in major races , anyway – but I have really seen a big improvement since I joined coach Jaun Strydom . He has given me a new programme that includes gym and strength work , and my body has reacted well to that , which has saw me improve from 14.8 to 13.8 at the beginning of this season ,” says Marione .
Record Potential
Taking a whole second off her time was already a big breakthrough , but much more was to come for Marioné in this golden season . On 19 June , she clocked a scintillating 13.26 in an AGN League meet Pretoria , finishing just 0.03 seconds behind SA Record-holder and former SA Champ Rikinette Steenkamp . This would have given Marioné a new SA Junior Record , beating Taylon Bieldt ’ s mark of 13.35 run in Poland in 2016 , but the time was wind-assisted , with a following wind of + 2.4 metres per second . The legal limit for a record is 2m / s , but Marioné is nevertheless getting closer to improving the record .
While Marioné is not yet at the level of running sub-13 seconds , and thus did not hit the required Olympic qualifying mark of 12.84 to go compete in Tokyo , her results this season have seen her qualify for the World Junior Champs in Nairobi , Kenya , scheduled for the end of August . To prepare for this meet , where she will line up as the ninth-ranked athlete in the world in the under-20 age category , she headed to Italy in July for a training camp , with Jaun and other athletes from his training group . While there , she competed in three meets , clocking another three sub-14:00 times to bring her tally for the year thus far to 14 .
“ It was my first time outside the country , so it was very exciting to get a different view of competition and experience , and learning about other people ’ s cultures as well ,” says Marioné . “ The World Junior Champs will also be first time running for South Africa , so I am very , very excited about that . I will admit that I am very nervous , but I will do my best , and I hope I can make the podium and beat Taylon ’ s record .”
Images : Reg Caldecott , Skhu Nkomphela & courtesy Jaun Strydom , Nedbank Running Club , Südtirol Team Club
44 ISSUE 144 AUGUST 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za