Our golden girl
MARTIN BREAKS SA’S 60-YEAR DUCK BY TAKING WRESTLING GOLD Bowling pair slip up after holding big lead in final against Malaysia to bag silver medal for Team SA at Gold Coast Games.
Cementing her credentials across a range of distances, Caster Semenya became the third woman to take an 800m/1 500m double at the Commonwealth Games yesterday, while sombre champion Martin Erasmus stunned his opposition to win freestyle wrestling gold on the ninth day of competition on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Semenya coasted home in the two-lap final, setting a Games record of 1:56.68.
The dominant South African secured an international career slam by winning 800m titles at the Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, African Championships and African Games.
“As an athlete you set goals and targets, and you need to take risks if you want to be the best,” Semenya said.
Elsewhere on the track, Stephen Mokoka finished sixth in the men’s 10 000m race in 27:44.58.
The national men’s 4x100m relay team won their heat in 38.71 and javelin thrower Phil-Mar Janse van Rensburg delivered a 78.00m heave with his first attempt in the qualifying round, as they progressed to today’s finals.
Erasmus, meanwhile, had no trouble against India’s Mausam Khatri, earning a convincing 12-2 victory by technical superiority.
He earned South Africa’s first wrestling title in 60 years at the Commonwealth showpiece.
“He was tough ... I think he had a knee injury, but that’s not my problem,” said Erasmus, who admitted he felt more relieved than emotional.
“I’m not going to celebrate. I just can’t wait to get home.”
On the bowls green, Nicolene Neal and Colleen Piketh looked good for gold in the women’s pairs final but let it slip from their grasp against a determined Malaysian team. Though they led 12-3 after 10 ends, the South Africans were handed a narrow 15-14 defeat.
Receiving significant consolation for the loss, they clinched the silver medal.
In the diving pool, Julia Vincent narrowly missed out on the podium in the women’s 1m springboard final after taking fourth place, less than six points shy of a medal.
Table tennis player Theo Cogill lost his TT6-10 singles semifinal 3-2 against England’s Kim Daybell, and he was set to compete in the bronze play-off today.
On the hockey pitch, the national women’s team lost 3-1 to Canada in the play-offs, taking sixth position, and the SA men’s side settled for the wooden spoon, finishing 10th after a 3-2 defeat to Wales.
Rhythmic gymnast Grace Legote was seventh in the ball final, and the SA women’s rugby Sevens team did not score a point in group stage defeats to Canada and New Zealand.
Heading into today’s penultimate day of competition, Team SA were lying fifth in the standings with 35 medals (13 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze).
Also see Pages 41 & 42