Charne du Plessis won a bronze medal in the 800 at the World University Games two years ago, but that’s not all she was remembered for.
Moments after crossing the finish line in the final, the fifth-year Tuks medical student rushed to the aid of an opponent who collapsed from exhaustion. It led to her being honoured with the esteemed international Fair Play award during the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China.
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Tomorrow evening in the Rhine-Ruhr, Du Plessis will compete in the Games for the second time. Be assured that if another medical crisis arises while she is on the track, she will not hesitate to help. But that is not why she is in Germany. She wants to medal again, hoping this time that the colour would be different.
It is entirely possible that Du Plessis can win. She is nearly six seconds faster than she was two years ago. In 2023, in the 800m finals, her time was 2:04.73. This year, she has already run 1:58.98, which qualifies her for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. In two of the three races she ran in Europe, she was second. Her mindset when running has undoubtedly undergone a change.
“I am not afraid anymore when I line up to race. I give my all when I run because I don’t want to disappoint myself. The moment I finished racing, I knew it was my best effort. I couldn’t have done better.”
“I trained well in the build-up to the World University Games. I could feel it during the three races I ran in Europe. I could have won the last race in France if I hadn’t allowed myself to be boxed in.
“From tomorrow onwards, my focus is not so much on running fast times. I have already qualified for the World Championships. It’s all about places now. I think I have a realistic chance of winning a medal if I run tactically smart.”
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Hannah van Niekerk will compete in the 400m hurdles heats tomorrow. The 20-year-old Tuks athlete boasts a unique record when it comes to competing internationally. So far, she has competed twice internationally and boasts two medals. Last year at the Junior World Athletics Championships, she was third in the 400m hurdles. Earlier this season, she was a member of the South African 4x400m relay team that won bronze at the World Relay Championships.
Van Niekerk boasts a best of 56.22 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
“Of course, I would like to run a faster time at the World University Games, but I think I also have to be realistic. That’s why my first goal is to make the most of the Games experience. All that matters tomorrow is to give my best in the heats, then hopefully in the semi-finals and then the final. As they say, anything can happen in a final. After participating in the World Relays, I definitely have more confidence.”
In addition to the 400m hurdles, Van Niekerk will also compete in the women’s 4x400m relay as well as the 4x400m medley relay.
