Semenya pulls off hat-trick
Caster runs her way to triple gold at African championship
CASTER Semenya bowed out of the African Athletics Championships in Durban on Sunday after winning three gold medals from two individual events and the 4x400 metres relay.
The final day belonged to the versatile South African as she first won her specialist 800m event, leading from start to finish and crossing the line in 1:58.20, adding to the 1 500m title she won on Friday.
Semenya finished well ahead of Morocco’s Malika Akkaouiu, who crossed the line second in 2:00.24 with Kenya’s Emily Cherotich third in 2:00.70.
“I was quite happy with the time, my rhythm is good, and I just need to go home, rest a bit and prepare for Europe,” Semenya said.
She saved the best for last in the 4x400m relay final, where she came from well behind in third place on the final leg to triumph.
Semenya, Wenda Nel, Jeanelle Griesel and Justine Palframan posted a national record 3:28.49 -- the ninth fastest time in the world this year.
“I was like a cobra and this race was fantastic, running against the best. Producing a performance like that was all about teamwork,” Semenya said.
The final day of the biennial championships started with a record in the 20km walk as Kenya’s Grace Wanjiru set a new continental mark of 1:30:43 to win the women’s title.
Wanjiru took almost four minutes off her previous African record, finishing well ahead of Yehualeye Beleew Mitiku of Ethiopia (1:31:58) and Tunisia’s Chahinez Nasri (1:34:45).
Kenya also won the men’s 20km walk title with Samual Gathimba coming painstakingly close to breaking the African record with a time of 1:19:24.
Gathimba missed the mark by 22 seconds with Tunisia’s Hassanine Sebei taking the silver medal in 1:20:57 and Lebogang Shange, of South Africa, the bronze in 1:21:41.
Kenya took gold and silver in the women’s 3 000m steeplechase with Norah Jeruto winning comfortably in 9:25.07 followed by Agnes Chesang in 9:27.22. Ethiopia’s Weyneshet Ansa Weldetsadik was third in 9:39.89.
Hosts South Africa retained the African team title by winning 33 medals -- 16 gold, nine silver and eight bronze. Kenya finished second with 24 and Nigeria third with 16. – AFP