Charné du Plessis
South African middle-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charné Eileen Du Plessis (née Swart; born 2 January 2002) is a South African middle-distance runner.[1]
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2 January 2002
1500m: 4:11.80 (Pretoria, 2025)
2021 Summer World University Games | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Charné Eileen Swart 2 January 2002 | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
Event | Middle-distance running | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | 800m: 1:58.98 (Potchefstroom, 2025) 1500m: 4:11.80 (Pretoria, 2025) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
She was a bronze medalist at the delayed 2021 Summer World University Games in the 800 metres, held in Chengdu in August 2023.[2] However, her performance also included by a gesture of compassion after she crossed the line when, with Swiss athlete Veronica Vancardo, she raced back to help the final finisher, Soudi-Thasmy Moussa of Comoros, who had collapsed on the track and helped her to her feet, both earning a special Fair Play award for their actions.[3][4]
In April 2024, she won the 800 metres at the South African Championships in Pietermaritzburg, in a time of 2:01:81.[5] She qualified for the final and placed sixth overall in the 800 metres at the 2024 African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, running 2:03.49 to win her heat and 2:02.43 in the final.[6]
In March 2025, she ran 800 meters in 1:59.86 in Pretoria to become only the sixth South African female athlete to go underneath the two-minute mark for the distance.[7] The following month, she finished runner-up to Prudence Sekgodiso in the 800 metres at the South African Championships in Potchefstroom, in a personal best time of 1:58.98.[8][9] The pair later returned to finish first and second in the 1500 metres, with Swart-Du Plessis having another second place in a time of 4:12.30.[10] Her time for the 800 metres went below the automatic standard for the 2025 World Championships.[11]
She competed at the 2025 Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany, placing sixth overall in the final of the 800 metres.[12][13] She ran in the women's 800 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[14][15]
Personal life
She is a medical student at the University of Pretoria. She married fellow runner Chris du Plessis in March 2025.[16][17]