Semenya switches to 800m in US
Jobodwana, Scott-Efurd, are the other SA delegates in the Eugene Diamond League
Whatever comes Caster Semenya’s way, she is ready.
This is according to her coach Samuel Sepeng ahead of tomorrow’s IAAF Diamond League where Semenya will make a switch to the 800m at the meeting in Eugene, US.
“We go there to do what we do best, we are always ready for what comes our way,” Sepeng told Sowetan this week.
Semenya kicked off her Diamond campaign with a record victory (3:59.92 in the 1 500m in Doha, Qatar, early this month and tomorrow’s race will actually mark the start of her 800m title defence .
Asked if the Olympic and World champ would chase the 800m/1 500m Diamond double, Sepeng said they were “taking one step at a time” and the focus was on the Prefontaine Classic meeting.
In Eugene, Semenya will face off with her perennial rivals Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and Wambui of Kenya.
Anaso Jobodwana and USbased Dominique Scott-Efurd are other SA representatives in tomorrow’s competition.
Jobodwana, who is fresh from a third-place finish at the Jamaica Invitational Meeting last weekend, has been pitted in arguably the race of the Eugene event in the 200m final.
Jobodwana will square up against new sprint sensation Christian Coleman of the US, who vanquished Usain Bolt at last year’s World Championships. Jobodwana also has Botswana’s Isaac Makwala and Ramil Guliyev of Turkey, best remembered for beating Wayde van Niekerk to gold at the London global championships, as well as world 200m bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.
Scott-Efurd lines up in a 5 000m race that has 1 500m world record holder Genzebe Margaret Dibaba of Ethiopia and world champ Hellen Obiri of Kenya.
Meanwhile, a three-member SA contingent will turn out at the Taiwan Athletics Open that runs from today until tomorrow in Taipei.
They are long jumper Luvo Manyonga, Commonwealths 100m silver medallist Henricho Bruintjies and 400m hurdler Cornel Fredericks.