Precious Molepo targets sprint double at national championships

The 21-year-old University of Johannesburg athlete confirmed to SABC Sport that she is ready to test her endurance and speed against the country’s best, with dreams of walking away as a double national champion.

Currently in her second year studying Sports Management at the University of Johannesburg, Molepo is balancing academics with elite competition — and doing so with clear purpose.

Beyond the national championships, she is chasing qualification for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August.

To secure her spot, she must meet demanding entry standards of 22.57 seconds in the 200m and 50.75 seconds in the 400m.

“My focus right now is the national championships in Stellenbosch where I’ll compete in both the 400m and 200m,” said Molepo.

“After that, I head to the World Relay Championships in Botswana in May, and then we will see how the season unfolds.”

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Molepo trains under coach Reneilwe Aphane at the University of Johannesburg Athletics Stadium and believes her early-season strategy has laid a strong foundation.

She began her campaign competing in the shorter sprints to sharpen her raw pace.

“The 100m was part of my speed programme,” she explained.

“It’s the toughest sprint because it demands explosive speed from start to finish. The 200m feels more comfortable and helps me build toward the 400m.”

Her confidence is quietly growing ahead of the national showdown.

“I don’t want to say too much, but I believe I can produce something special in the 400m. I’m starting to focus more on it this week. I don’t want to put myself under pressure — we’ll see what happens.”

The rising sprinter already boasts international pedigree, having earned bronze in the 4x400m relay at last year’s World Relay Championships in China — a performance that strengthened her belief in competing on the global stage.

Managed by prominent athletics agent Lee-Roy Newton, Molepo is determined to slash her personal best of 52.32 seconds in the 400m as she measures herself against the world’s elite quarter-milers.

While the Commonwealth Games qualification standards remain a daunting hurdle, she remains realistic yet hopeful.

“With the standards set for the Commonwealth Games, I can’t say I’m fully focused on it right now because they are very tough. But we’ll see how I perform in the 400m and keep pushing to qualify.”

She is also placing strong emphasis on the relay team, where she believes South Africa has growing potential.

“I’ll also focus on the 4x400m relay. The tough standards are meant to push us to run faster times, and that can only improve us as athletes.”

With youth on her side, international experience in her legs, and a double challenge ahead in Stellenbosch, Molepo is preparing to make a bold statement on South African athletics’ biggest domestic stage.