NEL Wenda

Date of Birth: 30 Jul 1988

Age: 33

Gender: Female

Place of birth: WORCESTER

Birth Country:

South Africa

Place of residence : PRETORIA

Residence Country:

South Africa

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Athletics	Women's 400m Hurdles

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Olympic Stadium - Track	Women's 400m Hurdles Round 1 - Heat 4	Finished
	Olympic Stadium - Track	Women's 400m Hurdles Semi-Final 2	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Olympic Games

Year	Location	400m Hurdles
2016	Rio de Janeiro, BRA	SF (55.83)

World Athletics Championships

Year	Location	400m Hurdles	4 x 400m
2017	London, GBR	SF (55.70)	Heats (3:37.82)
2015	Beijing, CHN	7th (54.94)	-
2011	Daegu, KOR	SF (57.06)	-

African Games

Year	Location	400m Hurdles	4 x 400m
2019	Rabat, MAR	6th (58.01)	5th (3:41.17)

African Championships

Year	Location	400m Hurdles
2018	Asaba, NGR	2nd (57.04)

Diamond League overview - Three best ranks per season and event since 2017

Year	400m Hurdles
2021	1 x 4th
2019	1 x 7th, 1 x 8th
2018	1 x 4th, 1 x 5th, 1 x 6th
2017	1 x 6th, 1 x 8th

Diamond League - Ten best performances since 2020

Rank	Year	Event	Location	Result
4	2021	400m Hurdles	Florence, ITA	55.20
4	2018	400m Hurdles	Shanghai, CHN	55.63
5	2018	400m Hurdles	London, GBR	55.67
6	2018	400m Hurdles	Birmingham, GBR	57.51
6	2017	400m Hurdles	Rabat, MAR	55.31
7	2019	400m Hurdles	Doha, QAT	56.16
8	2019	400m Hurdles	London, GBR	56.39
8	2018	400m Hurdles	Zurich, SUI	57.23
8	2017	400m Hurdles	Brussels, BEL	56.30

World Athletics Continental Tour - Ten best performances since 2020

Rank	Year	Event	Competition	Location	Result
3	2021	400m Hurdles	World Athletics Continental Tour	Hengelo, NED	55.25

World Challenge - Ten best performances since 2020

Rank	Year	Event	Competition	Location	Result
3	2018	400m Hurdles	World Challenge	Turku, FIN	57.47
5	2018	400m Hurdles	World Challenge	Zagreb, CRO	57.29

Legend
SF - Semifinal, QF - Quarterfinal, 1R - 1st Round, Qual. - Qualification, QR - Qualification Round, DNF - Did Not Finish, DNS - Did Not Start, DQ - Disqualified, NM - No Mark, [Relay athlete without time] - Did not run in final

Previous names:

Spending time with family and friends, reading, watching movies, baking, spending time in nature. (nutritionconfidence.wordpress.com, 16 Mar 2020)

Occupation:

Athlete, Dietitian

Dietics - University of Pretoria, South Africa

Husband Jacques

Languages spoken:

Tuks Athletics [Pretoria, RSA]

Sporting relatives:

Her husband Jacques Nel has competed in triathlon at national level in South Africa. (Instagram profile, 05 Jan 2021; Jacques Nel Facebook profile, 05 Jan 2016; modernathlete.co.za, 27 Nov 2014)

She took up athletics seriously at high school, and began to focus on the 400m hurdles while studying at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. (up.ac.za, 17 Dec 2014; modernathlete.co.za, 27 Nov 2014)

"I've been doing athletics since I can remember, and I loved it from the start." (up.ac.za, 17 Dec 2014)

To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (up.ac.za, 30 Jul 2020)

She does track training in the morning and gym or technique sessions in the afternoon. (nutritionconfidence.wordpress.com, 16 Mar 2020)

Winning a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (nutritionconfidence.wordpress.com, 16 Mar 2020)

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer. (up.ac.za, 17 Dec 2014)

Her family. (modernathlete.co.za, 27 Nov 2014)

Philosophy:

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." (perdeby.co.za, 01 Mar 2016)

General Interest

General
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
Speaking in 2020, she said she was contemplating retirement after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "I am close to the end of my career, but I believe the love and passion I have for this sport will follow me wherever I go. I am planning to incorporate athletics into my life, one way or another. I am excited for new opportunities and would love to give back and support our younger and future generations. For now, I am focusing on the 2020 Olympic Games. After that, I will embrace whatever opportunities come my way." (gsport.co.za, 11 Feb 2020)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has represented Africa on the board of global independent athletes' organisation The Athletics Association. She has also served as an ambassador for the Girls Only Project, which aims to improve equality for women in sport in South Africa and the continent of Africa. (athleticsassociation.org, 01 Jan 2020; girlsonlyproject.org, 01 Jan 2019)

Social Media

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos