Athletics: Semenya makes victorious comeback, Bolt sings Reggae
After getting the clearance on her gender South African athletic sensation Caster Semenya reminded the world of her incredible talent that shocked the athletic fraternity last year. She cruised to an easy win in Finland that marked a much awaited comeback for the teenager.
The World 800 metres champion returned to serious competition after being forced onto the sidelines as she went gender testing.
In a race where she was clearly the best, Semenya recorded a time of 2 minutes 4.22 seconds, winning the event staged at the Lappeenranta Games.
Semenya was given a clean chit to compete as a woman early in July by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The African did not run competitively since undergoing tests during last year’s Berlin World Championships.
She astounded the world with her feat of winning the race with an incredible time of 1:55.45 which was the fastest of 2009.
Her agent claims that they have received invitations to many competitions and that she might return to compete in Europe later in the year.
Semenya on the other hand was happy with her performance saying that "It's not easy to wait 11 months you know actually for this result, you know, to come back and run. So yes, it was hard you know. I just prayed to God, you know, to bring me back to the field".
She was dealt a major blow earlier in the week when Athletics South Africa (ASA) decided to leave her out of the team for July's African Championships, but said they could consider her for the Commonwealth Games in October.
Meanwhile, the man regarded as arguably the fastest ever athlete to grace an international racing track, Usain Bolt displayed skills other than his tremendous running ability.
The triple World Champion runner, who hails from Jamaica, played to a different kind of audience on Thursday as he put on a reggae show for a big crowd that had converged in front of Paris city hall.
The king of sprinting, also known as the “Lightening Bolt” performed at the opening of a large party which has been staged to pay homage to Bolt’s native land in Central America.
The ecstatic crowd danced and sang wildly to his performances and claimed that they had an absolute ball of a time, as they saw the softer side of the menacing sprinter who is a more than capable fast bowler and rolled over the current West Indian Captain Chris Gayle in a festival cricket match held last year.
The small concert was arranged at a large square in front of the Hotel de Ville giving an opportunity for reggae lovers to dance the afternoon away.
The enthusiasm reserved for the iconic figure that has taken the world by storm with his dazzling runs across the world, was more akin to a rock star that an athlete.
Bolt holds the World Record for 100, 200 and 4 x 100-metre running, which has already put his name amongst the best ever.
Remarkably, Bolt looked totally tuned in for the task ahead highlighting the fact that he is indeed a gifted individual who can turn whatever he touches to gold.
Bolt, who is in Paris to take part in Friday's Diamond League meeting, sang tunes such as Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" with great comfort and ease.
''He was good. He is really close to his audience," said one fan present at the concert while another one screamed, “ On the record deck, he was great, great, great, great, great, big up for Jamaica”.
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