Doran over the moon after representing SA in Nigeria

South Africa’s rising steeplechase talent Jade Doran delivered a commendable performance at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U18 and U20 Championships in Nigeria.

Doran held her own in the gruelling 2 000m steeplechase, showcasing grit and fighting spirit after recovering from a mid-race fall to finish fifth in the U18 girls’ final.

Representing South Africa on such a prestigious stage marked a major milestone in the Benoni High Grade 10 learner’s career and underscored her growing status as one of the country’s brightest junior distance runners.

“I didn’t even know it’s an opportunity I would get at this time in my career. I thought it was something I’d get to do after school,” said the 16-year-old. “But I felt warm inside, excited and proud to represent my country.”

Reflecting on her performance, Doran said it felt surreal to wear the green and gold, especially when finishing in the top five against a stacked field that included some of the top junior steeplechasers from Kenya.

“The race was really good. I was excited to run alongside the Kenyans. Even though I knew they were 30 seconds faster than me, it gave me an opportunity to run faster than I’ve ever run before,” she said.

“I also had incredible support which gave me the strength to push myself. Although I fell during the race, I was unfazed. It was really fun. It felt unreal. It was incredible to finish fifth.”

The Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) runner has earned recognition for her technical strength in hurdling and the steeplechase discipline.

At the national age-group track and field championships in Cape Town in March, she clocked 07:07.28 in the U18 2 000m steeplechase, shaving 19.8 seconds off her personal best to win at Green Point Stadium.

As the Central Gauteng athlete continues to develop physically and gain experience, expectations are high that she will keep improving her times. More importantly, she already embodies resilience, bouncing back from setbacks and proving her competitive spirit.

“I would like to compete at the African Games again in two years’ time and also qualify for next year’s World U20 Championships,” she said.

Also Read: Steeplechaser Doran to represent SA at African Champs

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