Semenya continues her comeback with win in Italy
Caster Semenya continued her comeback yesterday winning the 800m at the Notturna di Milano meet in Italy. She took first place with a time of one minute 58.16 seconds, her best time since her return to competitive racing.
"I feel pretty happy," Semenya said. "I wasn't expecting a fast race. But my coach told me to run my own race, even if it was fast.”
Semenya trailed for most of the race, but was able to pass second place finisher Hind Dehiba of France on the back straight to claim the victory. Dehiba’s teammate Fanjanteino Felix finished in third.
After winning gold at last year’s World Championships in Berlin, Semenya was suspended from international competition by the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF) pending the result of a gender test. Earlier this year in July she was cleared to return to competition.
After starting her comeback by winning two minor races in Finland, Semenya returned to Berlin winning gold at the World Challenge with a time of one minute 59.90. After that race some of her fellow athletes spoke out against the IAAF’s decision to allow Semenya to return to competition.
"As athletes we feel frustrated because everyone is allowed to give their opinion except us," said Diane Cummins of Canada after Semenya won gold at the World Challenge. "Even if she is a female, she's on the very fringe of the normal athlete female biological composition from what I understand of hormone testing. So, from that perspective, most of us just feel that we are literally running against a man."
Many expect Semenya to break the world record of one minute 53.28 in the 800m sooner or later. She has consistently improved her time since the start of her comeback, and will most likely continue that trend at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next month.
Before the meet in Italy, Semenya finished with a time of one minute 59.65 in the Diamond League final in Brussels. She finished third in that race behind Mariya Savinova of Russia and Jeneth Jepkosgei of Kenya, neither of whom competed in Italy.
Semenya is now setting her sights on the Games in Delhi which start on 3 October.
“I wanted to run 1:58 today,” said Semenya. “I am now going home to prepare the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. This is my big goal of the season.”
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