TOUGH NIGHT FOR SA

Silver lining as Maswanganyi and Van Niekerk make it through to the 200m semifinals.

- Wesley Botton

Middle-distance runner Prudence Sekgodiso faded down the home straight and sprinter Benjamin Richardson pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury, in what was a tough session on the track for the national team at the Olympic Games in Paris last night.

Making her debut in a major global final, 22-year-old Sekgodiso had been tipped as a potential 800m medallist after she enjoyed a breakthrough season. And while she was well placed around the final bend, she lost a lot of ground in the dash for the line.

Sekgodiso took eighth place in 1:58.79, with Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain winning gold in 1:56.72.