Prudence Sekgodiso targets podium finish in Doha

The meeting gets underway at 8pm local time, with the South African champion eager to bounce back after her season opener in Rabat. 

Speaking to SABC Sport, her coach Samuel Sepeng says the Limpopo-born middle-distance star is injury-free, in good shape, and ready to challenge for a place on the podium after finishing sixth in Rabat last month.

"That is what we want to see tomorrow. The preparation has been going well, she is injury free and the hamstring is 100% healed. We love winning but a podium finish is really on our minds."

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Although Sekgodiso finished sixth in Rabat with a season’s best time of 1:57.41, Sepeng says he was pleased with her performance. 

He believes many people focused too much on her finishing position, while he was encouraged by the quality of her run in her first Diamond League race of the season.

Sepeng, the younger brother of South African athletics legend and Olympic 800m silver medallist Hezekiel Sepeng, says Sekgodiso has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that disrupted her preparations. 

He adds that she is happy, healthy, and training freely again for the first time in several months.

Sepeng is confident Sekgodiso will make South Africa proud in Doha. 

She will line up alongside her Botswana-based training partner Oratile Nowe in what is expected to be a highly competitive women's 800m field.

"We want to do our best and that is to reach the podium, while also pushing for fast times and seeing what that gets us. Last night was Bafana Bafana, tonight is Prudence Sekgodiso."