Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Sprinter and Olympic medalist Christine Mboma secured second place in the 100-meter heat at the ongoing Athletic South Africa (ASA) Grand Prix in South Africa on Wednesday.
Competing in her first international event of 2025, Mboma clocked 12.07 seconds, finishing behind fellow Namibian Jade Nangula, who won the race with a time of 11.81 seconds. South Africa’s Reaobaka Matshitse came in third with 12.08 seconds.
The meet, held at the University of Johannesburg, has attracted top athletes from across the continent, including African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, who is set to compete against South Africa’s Olympic 4x100m relay silver medalist Bradley Nkoana and Gift Leotlela.
Mboma made history at the Tokyo Olympics by finishing second in the women’s 200m final, securing Namibia’s first-ever Olympic medal for a female athlete.
She also became the first Namibian medalist since 1996, when Frank Fredericks last achieved the feat.
However, Mboma’s career faced challenges after World Athletics regulations required her to undergo estrogen injections every three months to manage her testosterone levels, which are deemed too high for a female athlete.
Despite these setbacks, she continues to compete at the highest level.
