One of South African athletics legends, Rikenette Steenkamp, has decided to put her spikes
away for good.
The Tuks athlete has undoubtedly been the “boss lady” of 100m-hurdles racing since 2010 in
South Africa. In 47 local races, she has been beaten only twice in the short hurdles. It was in
2010 and 2013. According to the World Athletics statistics, Steenkamp has since 2014 notched
up 29 consecutive victories racing in South Africa.
Steenkamp is the current 100m-hurdles record-holder (12.81s) and the indoor 60m-hurdles
record-holder (8.17s). She won four South African titles and one African title. Another definite
highlight was winning gold in 2018 during the World Cup Meeting in London.
One can’t help but wonder what more Steenkamp would have achieved if she was not injured at
crucial times of her career. When reading her World Athletics profile, her absence from the track
for extended times is hard to miss. In 2015 she seemingly only competed in one 4x100m-relay
race. In 2016 and 2022, she did not race at all.
Still, the Tuks athlete has no regrets. She has so many memories that would stand the test of
time. 2010 was without her breakthrough year. Steenkamp won the South African senior, junior
(under-20) and student 100m-hurdles titles.
According to Steenkamp, she had not entirely realised what she had achieved.
“At 17, I was young and naive. I wanted to run and make finals. Most importantly, I ran to enjoy
myself. I was stunned that I had won the senior national title. That victory was the start of my
journey.
“The day I set the SA record is one I will never forget. Since I won my first South African title, I
have dreamed of running a sub 13 seconds race. I got to do so in 2017.”
That year, within four days, Steenkamp ran two sub-13-second races. On 28 June in Ostrava,
she ran 12.99s; then, on 2 July in Switzerland, she clocked 12.92s breaking. A year later, at the
same venue, she set a new national record running 12.81s.
Steenkamp was undoubtedly at the peak of her career in 2018, dipping under 13 seconds no
less than five times.
According to the Tuks athlete, the day she won gold at the World Cup in London was the closest
she came to running the perfect race. Her winning time was 12.88s.
“It was amazing. Everything clicked. It felt like I was ‘flowing’ over the hurdles.”
- Thinking back on her athletics career, she admits that she might have done some things differently. “I definitely would have made a more concerted effort to train more cleverly. There were times when I pushed myself too hard. Often that was what led to me getting injured. But then again, mycoach and I did our best with the information we had.”When asked if she had any advice for young athletes, Steenkamp said what she was going to say might sound like a cliche. “But I wish someone had said it to me when I was a young athlete. The one thing every young athlete should realise is that no sports career lasts forever. So enjoy every moment. I had run mybest times when I enjoyed myself.”Young athletes should realise they need time to achieve the big goals. So enjoy the small victories. Don’t ever compare yourself or your results to that of other athletes. Each athlete’s journey is unique. Know that it is a privilege to represent South Africa.”Please speak to your coaches when you are injured or if something is bothering you. It is important to have an open relationship with your coach.”Steenkamp promises that she will always in some way be involved in sports. At the moment, shegets joy from coaching primary school athletes. The one thing she truly wants to do is to mentallyassist athletes. But for now, she is most excited about the new chapter that starts in March when she gets married to Jan-Chris Avenant.Page 2 of 2
