The one thing Hannah van Niekerk really enjoys is challenging herself against the stopwatch on the athletics track.

The Tuks education student is pretty good at it. A quick glance at her results on the World Athletics website will prove it. This season, she has set personal best times over 200m (24.36s) and 400m (52.72s). There is a real chance that she will do so also in the 400m hurdles in the next few weeks. 

Being fast equates to winning medals. Van Niekerk has been the under-23 400 m hurdles champion for the last two years and the South African student champion in 2024. Last year, her highlight was winning a bronze medal in the hurdles at the World Championship in Peru. Her time of 56.98 seconds is a personal best. This performance led to her being named South Africa's junior athlete for 2024.

"The 400m hurdles are not just about pure speed. Technique plays a big role. For me, nothing is more enjoyable than pushing myself to the limit in the hurdles."

What are the do's and don'ts of running a good 400m hurdles race?

"My focus is always to be fast out of the starting blocks. My coach always says you shouldn't 'walk' from the starting blocks. It is also important to 'attack' every hurdle. The biggest mistake you can make is to trot between the hurdles. Over the last 100 metres, you shouldn't listen to your brain when it tells you you can't go any further. That is when you must force yourself to endure the pain. All that matters to me over those last few metres is to be the best I can be."

When asked about the bronze medal she won at the World Junior Championships, Van Niekerk admitted she was a little nervous beforehand.

"It was my first time representing South Africa at such a big event. But when I walked out to compete in the heats, I calmed down. It just felt so cool. After the heat, I couldn't wait to run again. The finals were my chance to show the world what I could do."

Van Niekerk's goal is to win a medal in the 400m hurdles at the South African senior athletics championships next week. She believes it is possible.

"At the moment, only three or four of us have run faster than 57 seconds in the 400m hurdles for a while. Last year's senior championships didn't turn out how I had hoped. I was fifth. The positive thing I can take from that is that I have to work much harder to be truly competitive in the 400m hurdles."

The Tuks student is also set on winning a medal at the World Student Games.