‘I’m excited to be back’ — Sekgodiso on time away from the track

If you were wondering where star athlete Prudence Sekgodiso was at the World Indoor Athletics Championships two weeks ago, you are not alone.

South Africa (SA) sent six athletes to the World Indoors, held in Poland from 20 to 22 March, with Olympic long jumper Luvo Manyonga among those in action.

However, one notable name was missing: Sekgodiso.

Last year, Sekgodiso made history when she became the first South African woman to win a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. Then 23 years old, she stormed to victory in the event, clocking a world-leading time of 1:58:40 in Nanjing, China.

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Sekgodiso said she had intended to compete at this year’s World Indoors, but after two early-season races, it became clear that her training was not on track and her body was not responding.

Ultimately to avoid a repeat of the World Championships in Tokyo last year, Sekgodiso and her coach, Samuel Sepeng, decided it was best to withdraw and shift focus to the outdoor season.

“I think I ran two races. I was supposed to run three but the first two didn’t go according to the plan. I feel like we rushed things with my training,” said Sekgodiso. “I pushed my body to the limit and it didn’t respond, and we decided to come back home.”

Sekgodiso opened her season in the 800m at the Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava on 3 February, where she finished seventh overall, clocking a season’s best of 2:04.26.

A week later, she followed that with a fourth-place finish in the 800m B final at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting on 11 February, improving on her time by half a second.

“It was a hard decision, but I just sat down and said ‘let me not force it’, because I feel like if I pushed too hard at training, I was going to get another injury.”

Pushing the limits

In 2025, the South African middle-distance star enjoyed a historic international season, highlighted by her first global title and multiple national records in the 800m.

However, Sekgodiso admitted that after competing in so many events in quick succession and pushing her body to its limits, she did not prioritise recovery – a decision that ultimately proved costly.

Following her success at the World Indoors, she shifted into the outdoor season where she ran in multiple events and excelled.

Sekgodiso reached the 800m finals at four Diamond League meetings, securing second-place finishes in Rabat (25 May) and Eugene (5 July), as well as a third-place finish in Stockholm (15 June).

She also clocked two personal best times of 1:57.16, first at the Eugene Diamond League meet and again at Ostrava Golden Spike on 24 June.

By the time the World Championships in Tokyo came around in September, Sekgodiso’s body gave in.

Her medal hopes were slashed when a hamstring niggle flared up during her heat, forcing her to step off the track in the second lap of her race.

“I remember the first two days after pulling the hammy, that first night I couldn’t sleep,” said Sekgodiso. “I thought I was bewitched at some point because my training was going super well, I didn’t feel anything until that last moment.”

Sekgodiso said she was at least grateful the injury came at the end of the season, giving her time to recover and process the setback.

“I feel like we raced so much last year to a point when I got to the World Championship my body was [exhausted],” she said. “I was shocked […] but it happens. It’s part of the game but I moved on and I’m back and ready to compete.”

Still some work left

After injuring her hamstring in Tokyo, Sekgodiso said she could barely move for two days, so it was a surprise to her that she managed to return to the track so soon after.

“I never thought I was going to come back this early because it was really bad,” she said.

For now, her focus has been on building towards the outdoor season, while correcting the mistakes of last year by placing greater emphasis on recovery.

Next week, on 7 April, Sekgodiso will travel to Potchefstroom to compete in the inaugural Hezekiel Sepeng Invitational, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting.

“I can’t say I’m in my best shape, but my body’s responding. I feel ready to race, but I don’t want to give anybody any false hope,” said Sekgodiso.

This measured approach is intentional, she said.

With the outdoor season stretching through to September, Sekgodiso is wary of peaking prematurely. Her primary target is the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in July.

“We’re still deciding on which event I’m going to do, either the 800 or the 1500. We’ll decide as time goes by because we’re trying to lower my 1500 time to at least sub 4:05 and that’s when we’ll make the decisions.”

For now, the middle-distance star is simply “excited to be back” and injury-free. DM