Overview
Prudence Tebogo Sekgodiso (born 5 January 2002), also spelled Prudence Sekgodisa, is a South African middle-distance runner specializing in the 800 metres. She was the gold medalist in the 800 m at the 2019 African U18 Championships. She is also a five-time South African Athletics Championships winner in the 1500 m and 800 m.
Personal life
Sekgodiso is from Medingen Village, Limpopo and trains in Gauteng, South Africa where she attended TuksSport High School, a sports-focused high school that allows learners to train and travel internationally whilst staying in school. Following her success, Sekgodiso was frequently compared and criticized on social media alongside Caster Semenya, the Olympic champion 800 m runner from South Africa who is intersex and has since been restricted from running the women's 800 m by World Athletics unless she reduces her natural testosterone.
Career
Sekgodiso earned her first international medal at the 2018 African Youth Games, winning a bronze in the 800 m behind gold medalist Hirut Meshesha. At the 2019 World Cross Country Championships U20 race, Sekgodiso finished 20th overall in 22:15, leading South Africa to a 5th-place team finish. The following month in Abidjan, Sekgodiso won her first gold medal at the 2019 African U18 Championships in Athletics. In 2022, Sekgodiso won a bronze medal at the 2022 African Championships in Athletics in the 800 metres, despite cold weather hampering her performance. At the 2022 World Championships 800 m, Sekgodiso advanced out of the heats, but was drawn the fastest of three semifinals. After finishing 5th in her semifinal with a 2:00.01 time, she did not advance to the finals.
The following month at the Commonwealth Games, Sekgodiso again did not qualify for the finals with a 2:00.17 clocking in her heat. Sekgodiso helped her team to a 4th-place finish in the mixed relay at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships. South Africa finished behind a winning Kenyan team anchored by Brenda Chebet, who was later that year suspended for doping. Sekgodiso qualified to compete at the 2023 World Championships in the 800 m, where she advanced past the first round but was beset by drama in the following stage. Sekgodiso collided with Athing Mu in their semifinal, turning the defending champion around backwards and forcing her to make up significant ground to qualify. Sekgodiso also was impacted by the collision, finishing last place in 2:11.68. The Athletics South Africa federation filed a protest to advance Sekgodiso into the finals, but it was not successful.
Sekgodiso won her first Diamond League title on 19 May 2024, when she won the 800 m in Marrakech in 1:57.26. It was also the fastest time of the year in the world up to that point, as well as a new personal best. Sekgodiso placed 8th in the final of the 800m at the Paris Olympics in 1:58.79. In her indoor debut, she set the South African women’s Short Track 800 m national record with a time 2:02.30 at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting in Belgrade, Serbia.