Cape Town - She has been experimenting between different stride patterns over the last few months, and it seems as if 400m hurdler Wenda Nel has found her groove ahead of the Rio Olympics.
Nel came from well down in the field to surge forward in the final 50 metres to end third at the London Diamond League at the Olympic Stadium on Friday night in a new season’s best of 54.47.
It was just a tenth of a second off her personal best of 54.37 as she ended behind the fastest woman in the world this year, American Dalilah Muhammad, who won in 53.90, with Denmark’s Sara Petersen coming home second in 54.33.
Muhammad said that “I wish the time was a bit faster” as her personal best of 52.88 was produced earlier this month at the US Olympic trials, which just shows the level of competition Nel faced.
But the South African champion told Independent Media earlier this season that she would be trying out different strategies during the Diamond League season following a poor first outing in Doha, where she ran 55.17 to end fourth.
The 27-year-old slammed her performance as “pathetic”, as it came after she won the national title in Stellenbosch with a then world-leading time of 54.84 in a race where she ran virtually on her own in front.
Nel got it right in Rome with a new season’s best of 54.61, but her next race was something of a blow-out as she stopped the clock at 56.07 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
She bounced back with a solid performance to win the African Championships in 54.86, but took a step backwards with a fourth place in 54.93 in Monaco last week.
On Friday in London, Nel was steady out of the blocks as Muhammad flew out of lane six in a quick start, with the South African in fourth position as she went entered the home straight.
But Nel kicked on and made a great leap over the final hurdle and was just pipped on the line by Petersen, with Muhammad winning comfortably.
Nel is hoping to break through the magical sub-54 second barrier, and perhaps the Olympic Stadium in Rio, with the 400m hurdles heats starting on August 15, with the final on the 18th. With the right conditions and what will be a strong field, Nel may also be chasing Myrtle Bothma’s 30-year-old SA record of 53.74.
The highlight of the first day of the Anniversary Games came in the women’s 100m hurdles, where American Kendra Harrison stormed to a new world record of 12.20, beating the previous mark of 12.21 by Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova that was set 28 years ago.
Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt also made his return to the track in the 200m following a hamstring injury that forced him out of his nation’s Olympic trials in early July, and the six-time Olympic gold medallist didn’t disappoint on the track where he won in the 2012 Games.
After a typically battling start out of the blocks, Bolt hit top gear as he rounded the bend and sped away from the field to win in 19.89, despite grimacing a bit in the last 30 metres or so.
“I’m getting there, I’m not fully in shape, I need more work,” the 29-year-old told the Diamond League website. “But over time I’ll be fine, I’ll just keep doing the work.
“I tried to go for the kerb, but I don’t think I executed well. The key thing is I came out here and won, but I’m always hungry for more. It is always great to come back here to London and compete. It is a lot of fun.”
Three other SA athletes will be on the track on day two in London on Saturday – men’s 400m hurdler LJ van Zyl, 100m star Carina Horn and Stephen Mokoka in the 5 000m.