Semenya improves national record in Monaco

CASTER SEMENYA shaved one hundredth of a second off her South African record to win her 18th consecutive 800m race in a time of 1:55.27 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting last night.

Semenya produced an impressively tactical race going through the first 400m in a time of 56.7 seconds.

It was by no means an easy victory for the Olympic gold medallist as she had company in the form of Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba and Ajee Wilson of the Unites States.

Niyonsaba and Wilson pushed Semenya all the way to the line but she managed to open a small gap over the final metres.

It was records galore in the race with Niyonsaba and Wilson both posting new national marks, finishing second and third with times of 1:55.47 and 1:55.61.

Semenya has improved on her season’s best from the Doha Diamond League meeting in May, by more than a second.

While Semenya should be buoyed by her performance, the race suggests she will have to work for the title at next month’s IAAF world championships in London.

World 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk was made to work hard for his first place with in-form Botswana sprinter Isaac Makwala on his heels as they crossed the line.

Van Niekerk managed to hold on for the victory. He posted a new meeting record of 43.73 seconds, with Makwala following behind him 43.84.

It was a Southern African 1-2-3 with Baboleki Thebe rounding off the podium in a time of 44.26.

Van Niekerk nevertheless posted the fourth fastest time of his career dipping below 45 seconds for the 20th time while posting a sub-44 time for the fifth time in his career.

The Olympic champion did not look quite as relaxed as he did earlier in the season going through the top bend and Makwela pushed him all the way.

Van Niekerk boasts the world-leading time of 43.62 he posted in Lausanne earlier this month, while Makwala climbed into the top three on this list.

Makwala had a slight edge on the South African as they came into the final straight of the race but Van Niekerk dug deep to pip him at the line.

In the 100m Jamaican Usain Bolt won in 9.95sec, with South African Akani Simbine third in 10.02sec.