Tshepo Tshite on the rise after taking a step up in distance

It might seem easy enough, but for any athlete, choosing the discipline that suits them best can be tougher than one might assume.

Sometimes, even picking the right sporting code can be a challenge.

Kevin Pietersen started out as a spin bowler before realising he was far more destructive with a bat in hand, Sunette Viljoen played Test cricket long before she won an Olympic medal in the javelin throw, and 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk was a 200m specialist before his former coach Ans Botha suggested he switch to the longer distance.

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For middle-distance runner Tshepo Tshite, it took six years focussing on the 800m event before he admitted to himself that he might not have the strength and speed to compete against the world’s best.

Not that he wasn’t a capable two-lap runner. He won three national 800m titles and competed at two editions of the World Athletics Championships.

He was unable to find a place in a final at the global championships, however, and his personal best of 1:44.59 placed him 24th in the world rankings last year.

Stepping up

Opting this season to take the 1 500m event more seriously, as he felt it better suited his relatively slight build, Tshite has enjoyed immediate success.

After winning the national title over the longer distance in Potchefstroom, he went on to finish second behind Ryan Mphahlele last week in one of the best 1 500m races ever run in South Africa.

He didn’t win, with Mphahlele clocking a superb time of 3:32.90 at the Cape Milers Endurocad meeting in Cape Town, but Tshite launched a thunderous chase on the final lap and nearly caught Mphahlele on the line, taking second place in 3:33.02 and ripping more than three seconds off his personal best.

Much has been said about Mphahlele’s tremendous potential at international level, but Tshite is equally capable, and the two men are likely to continue a new domestic rivalry which should result in them shattering Johan Cronje’s national 1 500m record (3:31.93).

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And if they can keep pushing each other at home, and maintain their form, they’re going to be ready to give things a real shake when they hit the global circuit over the next few years.

Sometimes it can be difficult for people to find their best event, and it took Tshite some time, but his move up in distance this year has opened a new door to the 26-year-old athlete’s career.

Not only could it result in securing medals at major international championships, but it could assist in lifting South African middle-distance running to new heights.

For Tshite, as has been the case with other great athletes, making the bold decision to shift things a bit wasn’t just a good move. It was a ground-breaking decision that could make him a household name.