Prudence Sekgodiso peforms well before start of Olympics

22-year-old Prudence Tebogo Sekgodiso from Medingen, Kgapane outside Tzaneen has run herself into stardom after she ran a time of 1:57:26 in May this year during the prestigious Diamond League. Sekgodiso’s long list of achievements include among others the gold medal in the 800m at the 2019 African u/18 championship. She is also a five-time SA champion in the 1500m and 800m.

She has been on fire this year and landed the second Diamond League victory of her career in the 800m in 1:58:66 ahead of Natoya Goule-Toppin of Jamaica in 1:59.10. She scooped her maiden Diamond League title in Marrakech in a time of 1:57.26, her lifetime best placing her first in the world thus far this year. “It all started when I was in primary school,” she says. “I was in Gr 4 at Medingen Primary and remember falling in love with running at a sports day.”

Also read: Naeem aims for Paris Olympics

“I didn’t take it seriously because I was only a little girl, but little did I know that that little girl would be number 1 in the world,” she says. After Gr 8 at Modubatse High she moved TuksSport High School in Pretoria, a sports-focussed high school that allows learners to train and travel internationally whilst staying in school.

Following her success, Sekgodiso was frequently compared and criticised on social media alongside Caster Semenya, the Olympic 800m champion who is intersex and has since been restricted from running taking part by World Athletics unless she reduces her natural testosterone. Sekgodiso, who is not intersex, says that although she does not like the criticism there is “nothing one can do about social media”.

Also read: Stanford Lake College’s athletes in action at independent schools athletics meet

“I earned my first international medal at the 2018 African Youth Games, winning a bronze in the 800m behind gold medalist Hirut Meshesha.” At the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, she finished 6th overall in stage 1 but was disqualified from the stage 2 heat. At the 2019 World Cross Country Championships u/20 race, she finished 20th overall in 22:15, leading South Africa to a 5th place team finish.

The following month in Abidjan, she won her first gold medal at the 2019 African u/18 championships. In 2022, Sekgodiso won a bronze medal at the 2022 African Championships in the 800m despite cold weather hampering her performance. “At the 2022 World Championship, I advanced out of the heats and was drawn as the fastest of three semifinals.

After finishing 5th in my semifinal with a 2:00.01 time, I did not advance to the finals.” The following month at the Commonwealth Games, she again did not qualify for the finals with a time of 2:00.17 in her heat. “I did help my team to a 4th place finish in the mixed relay at the 2023 World Cross Country Championship and qualified to compete at the 2023 World Championships in the 800m where I advanced past the first round but was beset by drama in the following stage,” she says.

Also read: Gallopers prepare for the Comrades Marathon

Sekgodiso collided with Athing Mu in their semifinal, turning the defending champion around backwards and forcing her to make up significant ground to qualify. Sekgodiso was also impacted by the collision, finishing last place in 2:11.68. ASA filed a protest to advance Sekgodiso into the finals, but it was not successful. “That experience has been good, now I can say that the world knows me. I just have to keep the same energy until the upcoming Olympic Games and just stay calm. I am not a talkative person, but my performance does the talking.”