Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma claimed victory in a tightly contested finish, edging out Sekgodiso and Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Sepeng praised his athlete’s performance, describing the field as worthy of an Olympic final.

"She ran her race according to the plan, which was great. It was a World Championship-like final, so for us to finish on the podium is a major win. The only thing we need to work on is converting second-place finishes into golden medal finishes," said Sepeng.

The race was closely contested, and Sepeng is pleased with the progress the Limpopo-born athlete has made, especially in her start and strong finish.

He believes she had a real chance to win in front of the packed stadium crowd.

"The last 100m in that race, I thought she would go all out. Over the last few weeks, we have really worked on her finishing, which she's always tended to struggle with.

"Although she lost, we can take pride in the fact that she is pushing all of the top athletes, and she is neck and neck with the athletes that comfortably beat her just a year ago."

The 23-year-old Olympian has consistently clocked sub-2-minute times, and according to Sepeng, her performances continue to improve. He notes that the women’s 800m landscape is evolving, and they must adapt to the latest trends to stay competitive.

The 2018 South African Coach of the Year also told SABC Sport that Prudence Sekgodiso is a strong contender for a medal at the upcoming World Senior Championships in Tokyo, Japan, later this year.

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