Prudence Sekgodiso fights hard to reach podium in Stockholm

World indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso fought hard and smart to finish third in a competitive 800m race at the Diamond League competition in Stockholm on Sunday in which Olympic champion Jemma Reekie of Britain finished behind her.

Kenya’s 2023 world champion Mary Moraa turned the race into a tactical contest as she slowed down up front early as the pacemaker went ahead. But Sekgodiso kept her head and when Reekie attacked at the end of the first lap, the 23-year-old went with her.

Moraa pressed again on the back straight, but Sekgodiso pushed back to stay in touch with the leaders, and when they came off the final bend it was a three-way race between the Pretoria runner, Moraa and Briton Georgia Hunter Bell, the Olympic 1,500m bronze medallist.

Hunter Bell won in 1min 57.66sec, with Moraa second in 1:57.83 and Sekgodiso third in 1:58.00.

Audrey Werro of Switzerland was fourth in 1:58.35 and Reekie fifth in 1:58.66.

Bradley Nkoana, a member of the SA 4x100m relay teams that won the 2024 Olympic silver and 2024 World Relays gold, finished second in the 100m in 10.23, five-hundredths of a second behind Benjamin Azamati of Ghana.

Gift Leotlela, the SA champion over the distance, was disqualified for a false start.

Abduraqhman Karriem had to overcome two recalls in the men’s 200m, one for crowd noise and the other for a false start by Canadian Olympic gold medallist Aaron Brown.

But when the race got under way after the third firing of the start gun, Karriem produced a great start, coming off the bend in contention, but then started tiring to finish fifth in 20.52, well short of his 20.15 personal best.