Exclusive We Knew We Could Bring Home A Medal, Says Prudence Sekgodiso's Coach

Prudence Sekgodiso left footprints where no other South African-born athlete had walked before, securing a gold medal in the women's 800m at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, on Sunday.

Her triumph was not only the first for a South African female athlete at the championship but also marked a significant milestone in her career, as she secured her first major gold medal following several victories in junior and senior championships across the African continent.

The 23-year-old looked stronger with every stride from the heats forward and went on to defeat tough competition from Ethiopias Nigist Getachew and Portugals Patrcia Silva, setting a world-leading time of 1:58.40 in the final.

Sekgodiso had missed out on the final of the womens 800m at the Paris Olympics last year after finishing last. Speaking to Independent Media after her success, her coach, former South African middle-distance runner Samuel Sepeng, described their victory as a dream come true.

For us as a team, this success is a dream come true, Sepeng said, from Hong Kong on Monday.