One of Pretoria’s most versatile athletes, Taylon Bieldt, set a new South African record this past weekend in Italy when she won the 100m hurdles in 12.76s.

The star athlete’s winning time is 0.05s faster than the South African record set by former Tuks star, Rikenette Steenkamp, in 2018.

Bieldt’s heroics led to her being only the second South African female athlete to qualify for the World Championships in Budapest. Her training partner, Zeney van der Walt, did so in the 400m hurdles.

The former Hoërskool Montana pupil is only the second senior athlete to set a new South African record this season. Leandri Geel did so in the hammer throw with a 66.11m effort.

Bieldt was not the only South African athlete to impress yesterday in the 100m hurdles. The South African champion, Marione Fourie, clocked a time of 12.86s in the Netherlands. It is a personal best. The Tuks sports science student’s previous best time was 12.93s. The two hurdler’s speedy exploits led to South African sports history. It was the first time ever that two local athletes were dipping under 13 seconds in the 100m-hurdles on the same day.

So far, only four South African female athletes have been able to do so. Corien Botha (12.86s PB in 1998) was the first. Then it was Steenkamp. She ran her best (12.81s) in 2018. Fourie ran her first sub 13 seconds race last year.

What is remarkable about Bieldt’s performance is that on Sunday, it was only the fourth time she competed in the 100m-hurdles this season. Initially, she aimed to qualify for the World Champs in the 400m hurdles. She first raced the 100m hurdles in April in Potchefstroom. In her second race in Bloemfontein, she ran 12.91s. Last weekend in Sasolburg, running on her own, she clocked 12.82s.

Bieldt’s performance is unique. In South African athletics, an athlete often only excels in the 100m hurdles or the 400m hurdles. Bieldt is only the third to excel in both. This season she ran 55.82s in the 400m hurdles. Her best is 55.30s.

Ina van Rensburg clocked 13.09s in 1986 in the 100m-hurdles. While her personal best time in the 400m-hurdles was 55.81s. Surita Febbraio-Loots ran 13.10s in the 100m hurdles in 2001 and 54.05s in the 400m hurdles (2003).

According to the South African athletics statistician Danie Cornelius, Bieldt is one of only a few athletes to have set national records in three different age groups.

“In 2015, at the World Youth Championships (u.18), Taylon won silver running 13.18s. A year later, at the World Junior Champs (u.20), her time was 13.35s. With both performances, she set national records. Now she has set a new senior record,” Cornelius explained.

Cornelius predicts that Bieldt has what it takes to become one of the greats of South African athletics.

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