Watch the video highlights of Olympic 200m silver medalist Christine Mboma scorching the track with an impressive personal best and Namibian national record of 11.14 seconds, and doing so into a -1.1 m/s headwind, to dominate the women’s 100m race at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix 1 meeting in Bloemfontein on Wednesday (16).
The Athletics South Africa Grand Prix is a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger – which took place at the Mangaung Athletics Stadium, and was the first big meeting on the South Africa athletics calendar in the 2022 outdoor season.
Mboma quickly smashed previous 100m PB
Mboma, who opened her new term with a 11.25 seconds performance in her first ever 100m race at an Athletics Namibia Grand Prix meeting in Swakopmund, on January 15, returned this week to lowered that personal best with a dominating display that saw her pull away easily from compatriot and training partner Beatrice Masilingi in the second part of the race.
“It was a great race I didn’t expect to run this fast, but I am happy with the time,” the 22-year-old said in an interview after her victory. “In Swakopmund was my first time to run the 100m and here was my second experience. It was great.”
Asked if she would be looking to run a sub-11 seconds time the next time she steps in the event, the previous long-sprint specialist said “hopefully.”
Mboma, the 200m silver medalist behind Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, and the reigning World U20 200m champion, is the second quickest in the world this season over the 100m behind Jamaica’s young star Briana Lyston, who flashed to a world-leading time of 11.14 seconds at the 2022 Central Athletics Championships in Spanish Town on Tuesday (15).
Finishing second on Wednesday to the Namibian 18-year-old was her countrywoman and fellow Olympian Masilingi, who posted a time of 11.24 seconds, while Shirley Nekhubui of South Africa ran a PB of 11.49 secs for third place.
Both Mboma and Masilingi will be targeting the medal podium later this summer at the World Athletics Championships to be held in Eugene, Oregon, at the famous Hayward Field from July 15–24.
Mboma owns a personal best and the world U20 record with 21.78 seconds for the 200m. She also has an impressive five sub-22 seconds clockings overall in the event, and many track and field experts are backing the standout teenage sprinter will dominate the event in the years to come as she continues to improve her running technique.
Click here for the complete results in Bloemfontein
