It’s bronze in the bag for Semenya

LATE LAUNCH: SEMENYA ARRIVES IN TYPICAL FASHION

SA 800m specialist Caster Semenya sprints to snatch third in 1500m at the World Champs.

Caster Semenya stunned the 1 500m specialists last night, snatching a bronze medal in the women’s metric mile final at the IAAF World Championships.

Sitting back for most of the race, Semenya was lying 10th at the bell but launched a long kick down the back straight and charged through to cross the line in 4:02.90, just 0.31 behind Kenyan winner Faith Kipyegon.

The South African middle-distance star was set to compete again in the 800m contest later in the week, in search of a gold med- al to add to the Olympic title she earned in Rio last year.

Earlier, two of the three SA men progressed safely through the opening round of the men’s 200m event, but there was no luck for teenager Clarence Munyai who was disqualified for a lane violation.

Wayde van Niekerk opened his account in the half-lap sprint with a dominant performance in his heat.

He pushed hard around the bend before hitting the brakes down the home straight, cruising to victory in 20.16 seconds.

Shaking off a niggling hip injury, 100m finalist Akani Simbine coasted through his heat, taking second place in 20.26 to join Van Niekerk in the start lists for tomorrow’s semifinals.

Closing out an action-packed opening round in the half-lap dash, teenager Clarence Munyai ended third in his heat in 20.19 and looked to have qualified for the penultimate round, but he was delivered a crushing blow to his campaign when he was scratched from the results for stepping in on the bend.

Isaac Makwala of Botswana, a major threat to Van Niekerk’s attempt at a 200m/400m double, pulled out of his heat, apparently due to food poisoning.

With Jamaican Usain Bolt giving the event a miss, and Canada’s Andre de Grasse injured, the door was opened even further for the South African to secure a historic double gold.

In the women’s 400m hurdles heats, African champion Wenda Nel looked comfortable throughout her race, coasting across the line in second place in 55.47.

She progressed automatically to the semifinals, to be held this evening.

Picture: AFP SEMENYA STYLE. South Africa’s Caster Semenya, left, lunges for the line during the 1500m women’s final at the World Championships in London last night. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, right, won the race in a time of 4:02.90, followed by runner-up Jennifer...