We take Commonwealth Games very seriously. It’s one step away from Olympics
Caster Semenya Olympic 800m champion
Caster Semenya did not win at the Laureus World Sports Awards but the South African still braved the biting cold dubbed the “beast from the east” that has besieged this most glamourous and extravagant of enclaves these past few days.
She had warm words for Serena Williams, who beat her for the Sports Woman of the Year title last night when tennis dominated the 18th awards, calling her an icon.
There was some small comfort for SA as Roger Federer, born to a South African mother, took home two gongs – Sports Man and Comeback of the Year – becoming the most decorated athlete in the history of the Laureus awards.
Semenya was, as ever, already looking forward to a year in which she is aiming to add two Commonwealth medals to her collection to complete an empty space in her cabinet, giving her just about every accolade it is possible for her to win without a vote.
It will be her first Commonwealth Games, having missed Delhi in 2010 because of injury and Glasgow in 2014 after she failed to meet the criteria set down by the authorities.
The Gold Coast will see her in perhaps the form of her life.
“For Gold Coast, we are looking at doubling for the 800m and the ‘thou-five’ [1 500m], and I think we are getting there, we are on the right track. We are getting into shape. Our teams are simple with our training.
“We stick to the basics, we feel how the body is and then we execute. I think we are on the right track at the moment. We have done the build-up phase and now we transit into the speed and endurance.
“The team is doing a fantastic job right now. We are not in a rush, we are not under pressure, we know what we are doing. We are feeling good, man. We are ready to rumble.
“As an athlete you want to compete in the big championships and the Commonwealth Games is one that has been missing.
“We South Africans take the Commonwealth Games very seriously. It’s one step away from the Olympics.
“These Commonwealth Games for me are everything. They are do or die. You never know what is going to happen in the future.”
Should she succeed in her attempt at the double, she will become one of an elite field of women to have done so.
Kelly Holmes did the 800m and 1 500m double at the Athens Olympics, one of just three women to have done so.