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South African women’s 100m champion Viwe Jingqi has confirmed to SABC Sport that she will not be able to defend her national title after suffering a hamstring injury.
The 20-year-old, coached by Paul Gorries, finished third in her heat with a time of 11.81 seconds.
Speaking to the national broadcaster at Puk McArthur Stadium—where she previously broke the national junior records in both the 100m and 200m—Jingqi said she would consult a physiotherapist to assess the extent of the injury.
Visibly emotional, she admitted the pain in her leg was too severe to continue.
“I just don’t feel 100% right now and a lot's been going on in the past week, but for now I think I should call it off for the ASA season,” said Jingqi in an exclusive interview with SABC Sport.
“I will just see what I can do in Europe and more than anything, I don’t think that I should risk it and put my body in danger and not achieve what I wanted to achieve later this year,” revealed Jingqi, who was holding back the tears.
The North West University-based athlete revealed that she is currently facing a difficult period as she continues to deal with the trauma from last year, when she struggled with injuries.
“I don’t think that I can run the ASA (National Championships) anymore. I don’t want to risk it. We wanted to see where I am and how I am feeling.
I am going through a lot, but I don’t want to talk about it,” she explained.
“But we tried last week to do whatever we can, but for now I am fine. I thought I was going to run, but I couldn’t.”
The women’s 100m final is set for today at 4:30 PM, but Viwe Jingqi has withdrawn from the race.
She explained that her decision will depend on the outcome of her physiotherapy session, which will guide her plans for upcoming competitions.
“What I am going through is nothing new and it is what I have experienced before,” she added.
She apologised to the fans who paid to watch her, saying she was sorry to disappoint them.
She acknowledged that other talented athletes can still entertain the crowd and added that perhaps this just isn’t her year.
