Evette de Klerk’s 11.06: The South African sprint mark that defined an era—and dared the next one to catch up

On this day in 1990, Evette de Klerk stopped the clock at 11.06 seconds to reset South Africa’s women’s 100m standard in Germiston. The time would become one of the country’s most enduring benchmarks until Carina Horn finally edged it years later, underlining how rare true sprint progression can be.