Rising sprinter Viwe Jingqi bags her maiden senior national title

Despite her victory, the 19-year-old clocked in at 11.23 seconds to clinch the gold medal in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

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She outpaced the experienced Tamzin Thomas, who earned silver with a time of 11.47 seconds, and Marais Gabriella, who secured bronze in 11.67 seconds.

Jingqi had aimed for a faster time, but her start proved to be a hindrance.

''That start was a bit bad, I won't lie. But I told myself that even if you don't have a good start, continue to work and see what happens at the end,'' said Jingqi.

Jingqi acknowledges feeling nervous during her first senior final, recognizing that performing at that level of competition posed a significant challenge for her.

''Firstly these are not juniors where you know you will win, these are seniors and people who have gone to world stages, so I was nervous,'' she added.

Jingqi says that clinching her senior title compensated for the disappointment she endured from previous injuries.

In 2022, a hamstring injury thwarted her dream of securing a senior title, yet she has ultimately triumphed over her obstacles.

Jingqi’s focus lies beyond the Olympics; she’s set her sights on concluding her junior year triumphantly with a medal at the forthcoming World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, where she plans to run the 200m event.  

At the age of 19, she’s well aware that she has ample time ahead to pursue Olympic qualification in the future.