Two years ago, it would have been almost impossible for Edmund du Plessis to be happy with a time of 1 minute and 50 seconds in the 800 metres.
On Saturday at Pilditch, the two-time South African champion and Olympic semi-finalist did smile as he crossed the finish line in 1:50.24, and with good reason. It was the first time in 10 months that he had competed in an 800m race.
“I know the time is not terribly fast. Normally, I would have been unhappy with a race like that. The heat I ran was not very competitive. I took the lead after the 100 meters and never saw or heard from another athlete again. It was a lonesome race. I did not mind. It was just nice to compete again. I viewed it as a time trial to see where I stand. More importantly, I finished the race without pain,” said the fifth-year Tuks medical student.
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It is often said that sport can be cruel. For Du Plessis, this is certainly the case. 2024 was a dream year. He won the South African title in the 800m for the second time. Was in action in the semi-final of the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was certainly one of his most heroic performances. Du Plessis was in the lead up to the last 30 metres in the semi-final. Unfortunately, he was passed by three athletes and did not qualify for the finals.
The Tuks athlete also set a personal best time in 2024, running 1:44.22. As things stand, he is now fourth on South Africa’s all-time list in the 800 metres. Only Hezekiel Sepeng (1:42.69—1999), Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (1:42.86—2009), and Johan Botha (1:43.91—1999) have been faster. Needless to say, he ended up being the Tuks men’s Student Sportsman of the Year.
Things started to go wrong for Du Plessis early in January last year when he tore his hamstring. He only competed in five races.
“I was hoping that I would only be out of action for two months, but when I started training again, I tore my glutes. From then on, things never really got better. Every time I started training, I got injured again.
“This led to me spending very long hours in the pool and on the bike. There was a time when I seriously considered participating in triathlons, but I couldn’t because I don’t think I could run.
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“The lesson I learned is that you have to give your body a chance to rest. I also now realise the importance of working out in the gym and biokinetics training. It’s important to strengthen your body. I didn’t really do that before.”
When it comes to goals for 2026, Du Plessis is realistic.
“I’ve only been training for five weeks now. The plan is to train as consistently as possible for the next few weeks. I’m not race-fit at all yet. I hope I can compete in the South African championships in April. Luckily, this past Saturday I qualified for that.”
