Taylon Bieldt recently set a new South African record when she won the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.76 seconds at the 2° Meeting Citta' Di Lucca in Italy.

The Tuks alumna’s winning time is 0.05 seconds faster than the South African record set by TuksAthletics alumna and UP-Tuks graduate, Rikenette Steenkamp in 2018. Bieldt’s heroics led to her being only the second South African female athlete to qualify for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Zeney van der Walt did so in the 400-meter hurdles.

Bieldt is only the second senior athlete to set a new South African record this season. Leandri Geel did so in the hammer throw with a 66.11-meter effort.

The new national record holder was not the only South African athlete to impress in the women's 100-meter hurdles. The South African champion and BSportSci student at Tuks, Marione Fourie, clocked a time of 12.86 seconds in the Netherlands. It is a personal best. Her previous best time was 12.93 seconds.

Bieldt and Olivier's speedy exploits led to South African sports history. Two local athletes are dipping under 13 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles simultaneously for the first time. So far, only four South African female athletes have been able to do so. Corien Botha (12.86 PB in 1998) was the first. Then it was Steenkamp. She ran her best (12.81s) in 2018. Fourie ran her first sub-13-second race last year.

What is remarkable about Bieldt's performance is that on Sunday, it was only the fourth time she competed in the 100-meter hurdles this season. Initially, she aimed to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. She first raced the 100-meter hurdles in April in Potchefstroom. In her second race in Bloemfontein, she ran 12.91 seconds. Not so long ago in Sasolburg, running on her own, she clocked 12.82 seconds.

Bieldt's performance is unique. In South African athletics, an athlete often only excels in the 100-meter hurdles or the 400-meter hurdles. Bieldt is only the third to excel in both. This season, she ran 55.82 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. Her best is 55.30.

Ina van Rensburg clocked 13.09 seconds in 1986 in the 100-meter hurdles. While her personal best time in the 400-meter hurdles was 55.81 seconds. Surita Febbraio-Loots ran 13.10s in the 100-meter hurdles in 2001 and 54.05s in the 400-meter hurdles in 2003.

According to South African athletics statistician Danie Cornelius, Bieldt is one of only a few athletes to have set national records in three different age groups.

"In 2015, at the World Youth Championships (under-18), Taylon won silver running 13.18s. A year later, at the World Junior Champs (under-20), her time was 13.35s. With both performances, she set national records. Now she has set a new senior record."

Cornelius predicts that Bieldt has what it takes to become one of the greats of South African athletics.

"I have no doubt that she can run faster. It should be remembered that she started the season training for the 400-meter hurdles. If she decides to focus only on the 100-meter hurdles, she can be 12.50s or faster."

It has been a long time since there has been a real rivalry in South African women's athletics. When asked how he thinks Bieldt and Olivier's 100-meter hurdle duel will play out, Cornelius said, "Taylon is the faster of the two, but Marione's hurdling technique is better. So it is going to be exciting."