This archive report was first published on 19 August 2021.
Beatrice Masilingi, an 18-year-old Namibian speedster, has made a strong statement at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 18, 2021, by setting a new personal best and Namibian national record time of 11.20 seconds in the 100m event.
Masilingi has been at the center of a controversy surrounding her eligibility to compete in the female classification due to her naturally high testosterone levels. However, she has been able to put this issue behind her and focus on her performance, which has been impressive so far.
Speaking to Capital Sport at the Kasarani Stadium, Masilingi expressed her happiness with her performance, saying, "I am happy running the 100m because when I was in school I did the 100m, 200m and 400m. Definitely I am more happier doing the 400 but I am comfortable and okay with the 100 as well."
Despite racing in the 200m event at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she came sixth in the final, Masilingi says she still wanted to compete at the World Junior event in Nairobi. "From the beginning, the plan was to come and race at the World Junior event and the Olympics just came about. Despite going to Tokyo, I still wanted to come here and compete because it was always part of the plan," she noted.
With her new national record and personal best time, Masilingi is hoping to bag her first World Title in the 100m event. She will face stiff competition from Jamaican Tina Clayton, who timed 11.34 seconds in her semi-final, and Serbia's Ivana Ilic, who has a personal best time of 11.38 seconds.
