Eastern Province hurdler Mondray Barnard has emerged from a remarkable European campaign with a string of international victories and a sensational 13.19-second personal best, establishing him as one of SA’s leading 110m hurdlers.
Barnard travelled to Europe recently already holding the EP Athletics (EPA) record of 13.44 seconds in the 110m hurdles.
What followed was a breakthrough international campaign that saw the Gqeberha athlete repeatedly test himself against quality international opposition across a series of European meetings.
The defining performance came in Troyes, France, on June 28, where Barnard stormed to victory in 13.19 seconds, with a legal +1.7 m/s following wind.
The performance, officially recorded by World Athletics, represented a significant improvement on the 13.44 mark with which he entered the European campaign.
Barnard also defeated fellow South African and former African champion Antonio Alkana in Troyes, further underlining the significance of the performance.
Troyes was not an isolated breakthrough.
Earlier in the campaign, Barnard claimed victory at the EAP Malta International, winning the 110m hurdles in 13.71 seconds despite running into a -0.5 m/s headwind.
In Jerusalem, he won his heat in 13.45 seconds with a legal +1.5 m/s wind before going even faster in the final.
Barnard clocked 13.39 seconds to take bronze, although the +2.6 m/s following wind meant the final performance was wind-assisted and therefore could not count for record purposes.
His legal 13.45 heat performance was nevertheless recognised as a meeting record.
From there, Barnard’s European campaign gathered further momentum.
At the Ordizia Meeting in Spain, he won his heat in 13.27 before producing another outstanding performance in the final, taking victory in 13.24 seconds.
He followed that with another international victory in Tampere, Finland, where he stopped the clock at 13.30 seconds.
The consistency of the performances was becoming as impressive as the victories themselves.
Barnard provided another indication of his growing international stature in Luzern, Switzerland, where he produced one of the most notable victories of his tour.
He crossed the line in 13.36 seconds, ahead of Switzerland’s Jason Joseph, who finished in 13.38, and Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell, who clocked 13.39.
The calibre of that opposition makes the result particularly significant.
Broadbell won the bronze medal in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while Joseph has established himself among Europe’s leading sprint hurdlers.
For an Eastern Province athlete to line up against athletes of that calibre — and beat them — provides a powerful indication of Barnard’s progression on the international stage.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Barnard’s campaign was not simply one exceptional race, but his ability to produce quality performances repeatedly.
His 13.19 personal best was supported by performances of 13.24 in Ordizia, 13.30 in Tampere and 13.36 in Luzern.
That consistency demonstrates an athlete increasingly comfortable competing at international level.
“For EP Athletics, his achievements are also a significant source of pride,” EP Athletics Track and Field chair Janine Whittall said.
“Barnard has shown that an athlete from Gqeberha and Eastern Province can step onto the international circuit, compete against world-class opposition and win.”
His performances have also opened the door to the next stage of his international career, with progression towards higher-level international competition, including World Athletics Continental Tour Gold and Diamond League opportunities, firmly on the horizon. - EP Athletics, Track and Field
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