Caster and new coach take aim at SA record
CASTER SEMENYA has called for more opportunities for local athletes and a more developmental approach to the selection of national teams ahead of her Liquid Telecom Grand Prix in Pretoria tomorrow.
The three-time world champion took up the plight of the fringe athletes that were let down by a system that seems to place a higher premium on excellence than on development.
“What is important is that we recognise our own athletes and if you look at the statistics it is improving, and the most important thing is to put those athletes that deserve it in the race first.
“The international athletes would be and if you pay attention more to our local athletes and expose them to good competition and you know charity begins at home and if you can’t do it at home, where can you do it?”
Using the Commonwealth Games team as an example, Semenya believes more athletes should have been selected to gain experience which could prepare them for the Olympic Games.
Only 13 track and field athletes were initially selected for the quadrennial showpiece, but 10 more athletes have been included over the last two weeks.
“I always repeat, it is about development, development. With the criteria we have at the moment it is very tough for some of the athletes if you look at the Commonwealth team it is very small,” Semenya said.
“We have to make sure our own athletes reach the standard and if you look at the top 10 in the Commonwealth you are able to compete but to me, it is not necessarily important.
“For you to make the Olympic team you need experience, so you need to race at South African champs, at Southern Regions and African Championships.”
Tomorrow Semenya will be lining up in the infrequently run 1000m where she has set her sights on breaking Ilse de Kock-Wicksell’s national record of 2:37.2, set in 1983.
The SA 800m record-holder may just have a realistic chance of breaking the record with two strong Ugandan challengers in Winnie Nanyondo and Halimah Nakaayi lining up against her.
“If the splits go into your favour we would go to that, we would practice the splits, I am more mature and I understand how the splits are allocated and how I need to run,” Semenya said.
“I’ll focus more on the 800 metres and I will know when I hit the two-lap mark the South African record is (on), so the target is to go at least two minutes or under which would determine how fast we would go.
“You never know how fast you can go over your last 200m, but I definitely think it is going down.”
Semenya yesterday unveiled Samuel Sepeng, the brother of 1996 Olympic 800m silver medallist Hezekiel, as her new coach.
Sepeng has been acting as Semenya’s pace-setter during her training sessions in Potchefstroom while he was also coached by her former mentor Jean Verster.