Local hurdles athlete wins bronze in Netherlands in preparation for Olympics
A local hurdles athlete and SA champion kicked off her preparation for the Olympic Games in Europe with a bronze medal at a prestigious event in Hengelo in the Netherlands.
The South African 400m-hurdles champion, Wenda Nel, impressed on Sunday night in Hengelo in the Nederlands, when she ran 55.25s, finishing third at the FBK Games.
The Tuks athlete’s time is again faster than the Olympic qualifying standard. Femke Bol (Netherlands) won in 54.33s, with Anna Ryzhykova (Ukraine) second in 54.59s.
Nel admits to having a slight case of the jitters before she raced.
“It was the first time since 2019 that I raced internationally. I was not sure what to expect. In the past, every time I raced in Europe, my first race tended to be a ‘touch and go affair’. It feels to me as if it is the start of a new season. What happened in South Africa does not count for anything,” she explained.
However, Nel said she is satisfied with her performance.
“I executed my stride pattern to perfection. I purposely started off conservatively. My granddad always advises me to keep something left in the ‘tank’ for when it matters. It was sound advice. We raced against a headwind in the back straight, so I made sure to conserve my energy. The last 100 metres was hard, but I had enough left in my legs for one final surge,” she commented.
Nel’s next race is on Thursday when she competes in the Diamond League Meeting in Florence.
According to the Tuks athlete, she will have to be at her best. Three of her rivals already dipped under 55 seconds this season. Ryzhykova and Sara Petersen (Denmark) are former Olympic medallists, while the 21-year-old Bol is a former European junior champion. Nel’s best time for the season is 55.16s.
“If I can execute my race to perfection and have enough left to attack the last hurdle, I could come close to running a sub-55s race. But for now, it is more important to be consistent,” she remarked.
Akani Simbine (100 metres) and Zakhiti Nene (400 metres) are the other two South Africans who will compete in Florence.
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