Sprinter Marione Fourie dreams of an Olympic Games final spot

At just 21 years old, this rising sprinter, honoured with the prestigious Athletics South Africa Female Athlete of the Year award, believes that this could indeed be her breath-taking year on the Olympic stage.

With an impressive recent performance, Fourie clocked a new personal best of 12.55 seconds, eclipsing the previous South African record of 12.76 seconds held by Taylon Bieldt.

Now, her determination is fixed on surpassing the semifinals and making a mark in the capital city of France during the July/August period.

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 “In my mind, I’ve cemented the belief that this year is my destiny to reach the final of the Olympic Games. Until I achieve that ultimate goal, I won’t ease up. Coming close to reaching the semi-finals in the World Championships last year fuelled my determination. My focus now is on breaking through to the Olympic final, and I firmly believe I have what it takes to make it happen. Although I initially aimed for a time of 12.48, surpassing that expectation with 12.55 has only bolstered my confidence,” Fourie revealed to SABC Sport.    

Fourie has a packed schedule ahead for the season.

Following the Indoor Championships in March, she will proceed to compete in the Africa Senior Championships, followed by the SA Nationals Championships, and the pinnacle event, the Olympic Games.

She anticipates a demanding yet exciting year filled with competition.    

“I need to shave off 0.5 seconds to narrow the gap with the leading athletes, and I’m fully capable of achieving that. My focus lies on enhancing my performance over the first six hurdles, which weren’t up to par at the beginning of the year and faltered in the latter half as well. Consistency in clearing the hurdles is key, and once more I master that, I’ll be ready to excel,” Fourie.