Tumi Ramokgopa Makes SA Athletics History with Double Silver at World U20 Championships

The 18-year-old from Birchleigh in Gauteng delivered a stunning performance at Hayward Field Stadium, securing her first silver in the women's 100m hurdles final on Saturday, 8 August, in a time of 12.96 seconds—just 0.03 seconds outside her own South African junior record of 12.93, which she set at Germiston Stadium in March.

Less than 24 hours later, Ramokgopa returned to the track and claimed her second silver medal in the 400m hurdles, clocking a new personal best of 55.88 seconds to finish behind Romania's Alexandra Uță. Her performance on the final day capped a remarkable championship for the first-year University of Pretoria student.

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"It is beyond special," Ramokgopa said after her 400m hurdles triumph. "I was in disbelief coming into the home straight. I saw that I was in a medal position and knew I had to give it my all."

A Star in the Making

Ramokgopa's double silver achievement is the culmination of a meteoric rise in South African athletics. Of the 28 races she competed in last year, she won 25 and finished second three times. Her 2025 season ended with a time of 13.15 seconds in the 100m hurdles, which was one of the seven fastest times in the world in U20 athletics.

She is the South African U20 champion in both hurdles events, the South African senior 100m hurdles champion, and won both hurdles events at the African Junior Championships in Nigeria. She is also the first South African U20 hurdler to break the 13-second barrier in the women's 100m hurdles.

In March 2025, she broke the national U20 record for the 100m hurdles twice, ending her season with a time of 13.15 seconds—a mark that only six South African women in history have bettered.

Redemption in Oregon

For Ramokgopa, the World U20 Championships represented a chance at redemption. In 2024, she finished third in the semi-finals in the 400m hurdles and missed out on a medal. She had set her sights on Oregon as "the year of redemption" and delivered on that promise.

"The big goal is to win a medal at the World Junior Athletics Championships. In 2024, I finished third in the semi-finals in the 400m hurdles. So to me, this is the year of redemption," Ramokgopa said before the championships.

A Versatile Talent with Olympic Ambition

Ramokgopa's versatility across the 100m and 400m hurdles sets her apart from most athletes. She attributes her success in both events to her unique ability to lead with either leg over the barriers, a skill she has developed since taking up hurdling at the age of nine.

"I love everything about the 400m hurdles. My strength is that I can lead with both legs. Meaning I have the skill to use either the right or left leg as the first leg over the hurdle," she explained.

With her eyes set on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Ramokgopa's double silver in Oregon has already placed her name on the international stage.

"The world now knows my name," she said after her historic performance.

Team South Africa's Strong Showing

Ramokgopa was one of the standout performers for Team South Africa at the championships, which saw the country's young athletes deliver an impressive medal haul. Shortly after Ramokgopa's 400m hurdles silver, another Tuks student, Matodzi Ndou, won South Africa's seventh medal in the men's 400m hurdles.

Her achievement has been widely celebrated as a sign of South Africa's bright future in athletics, with her performances drawing attention from across the sport.

With reporting from SuperSport, EWN, The Citizen and the University of Pretoria.