TRACK & FIELD |
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Images : Reg Caldecott , Barco Greeff |
the Tuks Sports Science student admits that she surprised herself when she stopped the clock on 12.55 . “ I had hoped to run 12.70 , so I was amazed when I crossed the line and saw my time . It is a moment I will remember for some time to come . I could not believe what I had achieved . I was certainly not thinking about setting a record , I was only hoping for a breakthrough race . I am even more motivated now that it happened , because the hard work and long hours have paid off ,” she says .
Senior Competition
That hard work has been Marioné ’ s focus over the past three seasons . In 2021 , she moved up to the senior ranks and started the year with a 13.82 , then steadily improved her times with 13.78 and 13.49 performances , culminating with a personal best 13.47 to win the SA Under-20 title in Paarl in April . A week later she won her first SA Senior title in Pretoria with a 13:54 , and a month later claimed
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the USSA Champs title as well , in Johannesburg . In June , she lowered her best to 13.26 in Pretoria , and rounded off her year with several meets in Europe and then the World Under-20 Champs in Kenya , where she made it to the semi-final round . |
Marioné ’ s 2022 season appeared to start with a scintillating breakthrough as she clocked 12.86 in Johannesburg , but due to there being no wind meter reading , the time could not be officially recognised as a new personal best or her first sub- 13 . She ran the exact same time as she won the Gauteng North Champs just over a month later , but this time the wind meter was working , and showed that the tailwind was too strong for this time to count officially either . Marioné did lower her best to 13.10 in Bloemfontein a week after that .
But then came the sub-13 breakthrough she ’ d been waiting for , when she clocked 12.93 at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix meet in Johannesburg in April . A week later she retained her SA title in Cape Town , and in June she was in action in national colours again at the African Champs in Mauritius , clocking wind-assisted times of 12.82 and 12.93 in the semifinal and final rounds as she finished third to claim the bronze medal . In July , she was in action at the World Champs in the USA , clocking 12.94 and a PB-equalling 12.93 as she bowed out in the semifinal round , and she followed that an appearance at the Commonwealth Games in the UK in August .
Steely Determination
Coming into 2023 , Marioné made no bones about her goal : She wanted to set a new South African record , which would mean having to run faster than 12.81 , and she was under no illusions as to what it would take to do so . “ I need to compete internationally to get pushed to my limits . In South Africa , I am often in the lead by the third hurdle in local races , and then it is me against the stopwatch . It is not good , because I tend to slow down ever so slightly involuntarily .”
As part of her preparation to chase down that record , Marioné hit the gym hard . “ Last year , I could feel there was something amiss when I raced . I knew I had to do something different this season , so it was decided that I should do more gym work . But it is not about pushing heavy weights . I am training under the supervision of a biokinetic , and
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it has paid dividends . Apparently , my one leg was weaker than the other , and that is much improved thanks to the gym training . I have more power in my legs , and my speed has improved .” She adds that she also worked on being faster out of the starting blocks , “ because it felt like I always needed to catch up when racing . A good start would be advantageous , especially if I retain my top-end speed .”
That saw Marioné retain her Gauteng North Champs title in mid-March , then post her first sub-13 of the year a week later in Sasolburg , clocking 12.99 . At the end of March she won a third straight SA Senior title in Potchefstroom with a 12.98 , then post 13.00 or 13.01 at the three ASA Athletics Grand Prix meets . With the SA season behind her , Marioné then headed to Europe , both to chase the SA Record and the 12.78 qualifying mark needed to book her ticket to the World Champs in August . That saw her kick off her European stay with that 12.86 on 4 June , followed a month later by her SA Record 12.55 . Since then she has also run 12.80 and 12.73 times , so appears to be taking good form into Budapest .
Seemingly Unbeatable
Besides taking the SA Record , Marioné ’ s success in 2023 has extended her remarkable run of results , which has seen her dominate the 100m hurdles event over the last three years in South Africa . Remarkably , she was last beaten in South Africa on 19 June 2021 ! She is also the only local hurdler to have dipped under 13 seconds on home soil – the other three South Africans with sub-13 times have all done so internationally .
As mentioned earlier , she is also part of the first duo of sub-13 hurdlers in SA athletics history , and statistician Danie Cornelius is quite excited about the growing rivalry between Marioné and Taylon . “ The 100m hurdles has long been a forgotten event in South African athletics , but I won ’ t be surprised if the South African record is improved again soon , because Taylon is a fighter ... She will want the record back . Few countries have two hurdlers who can clock times faster than 12.60 – as far as I know , it is only the USA – so their duel is going to be good for our women ’ s athletics , because they are proving to our young athletes that there is no reason why you can ’ t compete against the world ’ s best .”
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