Having enjoyed a spectacular first half to the year, despite the challenges she has faced, sprint hurdler Marione Fourie has returned home to recover after taking another knock.
Fourie opened her 2025 campaign on the international indoor circuit, breaking the SA women’s 60m hurdles record by clocking 7.91 seconds at a meeting in Luxembourg in January.
Facing a traumatic experience following the death of her coach Jaun Strydom, she opted to withdraw from the World Indoor Championships in March for personal reasons.
Back on track
She returned with a bang on the outdoor circuit, however, achieving her first podium finish at a Diamond League event when she took third place in the 100m hurdles race in 12.62 in Xiamen in April.
Taking another step forward, Fourie took second position in 12.60 in the 100m race over the barriers at the FBK Games in Hengelo last week.
After crossing the line just 0.11 outside her own national record, however, Fourie tumbled to the track and fractured her shoulder in two places.
Shoulder surgery
She was taken to hospital in the Netherlands where she underwent surgery before returning home at the weekend.
It remained unclear whether Fourie would recover in time to compete at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September, but after a tough year, she would be forgiven for taking a break.
But she’s a tough individual, so we won’t be surprised if she returns to competition this season, and we hope she recovers soon.
