Victorious Prudence Sekgodiso claims SA's first women's indoor medal

Prudence Sekgodiso won South Africa’s first women’s medal at a world indoor championship on Sunday and she did it in style as she sprinted to victory in the 800m in a world-leading time in Nanjing, China.

The 23-year-old slotted in at fourth on the first lap and then moved up to third on the second lap and then took second on the third 200m lap.

Then Sekgodiso, a finalist at the Paris Olympics, attacked again on the home straight and sprinted ahead without any of her rivals responding and she stormed towards the finish line to win in 1 min 58.40 sec, by more than a second. 

Ethiopian Nigist Getachew was second in a 1:59.63 personal best with Patricia Silva of Portugal third in a 1:59.80 national record.

Sekgodiso had started the race seeded second behind defending champion Tsige Duguma, the second Ethiopian in the field, having set her 1:59.88 South African record in France and against in Germany in February.

But on Sunday Sekgodiso found another gear that left her competitors without reply.

The result will give her a huge confidence boost as she turns her attention to the outdoor season, with the prize being at the world championships in Tokyo in September.

Sekgodiso’s gold was the country’s second medal of the competition, adding to the 60m bronze won by Akani Simbine on Friday to lift South Africa to 11th on the medals table.

Hers was also South Africa’s 12 indoor medal overall, fourth gold and third 800m gold — Johan Botha and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi won the men’s 800m in 1999 and 2004 respectively.

The other gold came from Khotso Mokoena in the long jump in 2008.

In other South African action on Sunday, long-jumper Cheswill Johnson ended second from the back with a best effort of 7.64m, and Chris van Niekerk finished in the same position in the shot put with a best throw of 19.47.

But spare a thought for hurdler Marioné Fourie, who pulled out the team after the death of her coach Jaun Strydom just more than a week ago.

The 7.91 national record she ran in January would have earned her seventh spot in Sunday’s final, won by Devynne Charlton of Bahamas in 7.72.