Prudence Sekgodiso, Glenrose Xaba and Gerda Steyn have led the charge over the last few seasons.
Though she no longer competes at elite level, former world and Olympic champion Caster Semenya says she is pleased to have seen a rise in South African women’s distance running in recent years.
With Semenya having been sidelined by gender rules, which prevent her from competing against women without taking hormone suppressants, other women have emerged to carry the national flag.
Prudence Sekgodiso, who is coached by Samuel Sepeng (Semenya’s former coach), is perhaps the best of the lot, having won the world indoor title in the 800m event this season, the same distance which Semenya specialised in throughout her career.
Semenya, who won three world titles and two Olympic titles, said she felt Sekgodiso could challenge for a medal again at the outdoor World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo later this year.
“Prudence is a great athlete. She’s doing well… and if she stays humble and she’s focused, she can be a good contender for a medal,” Semenya told SportsBoom.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish after winning the world indoor medal, particularly gold. It was very beautifully done.”
Xaba and Steyn breaking new ground
Semenya was also pleased with the improved performances among longer distance runners, including Glenrose Xaba and Gerda Steyn.
Xaba, who is coached by Semenya’s wife Violet, broke the long-standing SA 10km and 42km records last year.
“She’s an amazing athlete, hard-working. I’ll say she’s my replicant in terms of work ethics,” Semenya said of Xaba.
“She never misses a (training) session. She’s a go-getter, she’s very hungry, and she’s been doing well since she joined us.
“We’ve smashed multiple records and we’re looking forward to the next four years to see where we end up.”
Steyn has been equally superb over the last few seasons, breaking long-standing records at the Two Oceans and Comrades ultra-marathons.
“She has mastered the Comrades and the Two Oceans. She knows what to do, when to peak,” Semenya said.
“What I love about her is that she doesn’t limit herself. She will still do 10 km and then 21 km to keep her speed up. I’m quite impressed.”
