1 MIN 41 SECONDS TRACK AND FIELD
Prudence Sekgodiso crowned world indoor champion
Prudence Sekgodiso became the first South African woman to win a medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships after blazing to victory in the 800m in Nanjing, China.
Heading into the event, the 23-yearold had only run three races on an indoor track but looked completely in control as she rounded the track in Sunday’ s final.
The Ethiopian duo of defending champion Tsige Duguma and Nigist Getachew set off at a blistering pace with the patient Prudence slotting in behind, biding her time, and looking comfortable throughout. Sure enough, the pace proved unsustainable for the Ethiopians, allowing Prudence to make her move down the back straight of the last lap, racing to the front of the pack and pulling away for an emphatic victory in a time of 1:58.40 – another new South African indoor record and the fastest time in the world this year.
Getachew was second in a personal best time of 1:59.63 and Patricia Silva third in a Portuguese national record of 1:59.80.
Prudence admitted afterwards that while she had been working towards this result, the gold still came as a surprise.
“ I just told myself:‘ Girl, you’ ve got to believe. You’ ve put in the work, just follow the goals.
This can happen.’ I did dream of this, I’ ve been working so hard for this,” she said.
“ I believed that I could make it, and so to make it and grab that gold medal, I’ m proud. I want to thank my coach for putting in the work,” she added, also hinting that there could be big things ahead.
“ We have a long season ahead, and I believe there’ s still more to come.”
The indoor 800m has proved a happy hunting ground for South Africans over the years, with five of the 10 medals won at the global event earned in the four-lap race – by Mbulaeni Mulaudzi( one gold and two silvers) and Johan Botha( one gold and one silver).
Meanwhile, the only other South Africans in action on the final day of the championships were Cheswill Johnson, who finished 12th in the long jump with a best effort of 7.64m and Chris van Niekerk who was 14th in the shot put with a distance of 19.47m.
Thanks to Prudence’ s gold and Akani Simbine’ s bronze in the 60m on Friday, South Africa finished 11th on the medal table.
Images & Video: Dan Vernon for World Athletics & World Athletics
Watch Prudence claim gold
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