Speedy Semenya to run 800m
SHE’Sdone her speed work, and now it’s time to get down to real racing. After improving her 400m personal best, Caster Semenya is ready to run her first 800m event of the season at the Athletics South Africa Night Series meet at Green Point Athletics Stadium tonight (start 6pm).
The 25-year-old Semenya – a 2009 world champion in Berlin and 2012 London Olympics silver medallist – has worked hard on improving her sprint work in the early stages of the season after a forgettable 2015.
Last year she didn’t even qualify for the 800m final at the world championships in Beijing as she finished last in her semi-final. Her best time of the year came in the heats in Beijing, where she came in at 1min 59.59sec.
That ensured she at least qualified for the upcoming Rio Olympics, but considering her pedigree, a medal should be in her sights. Semenya seems to have a better battle plan this year under new coach Jean Verster after parting ways with former 800m great Maria Mutola, and ran a number of 400m races, improving her PB by over a second, from 52.54 to 51.47 – an Olympic qualifying time – in Potchefstroom on March 12.
She clocked 52.45 in the 400m at last Friday’s Varsity Athletics event in Johannesburg, and is primed to record a quick first 800m of 2016, although she is unlikely to get anywhere close to her SA record of 1:55.45.
But Semenya won’t be the only star athlete in action at Green Point.
The SA sprinting scene has been set alight in recent weeks by Akani Simbine and Wayde van Niekerk, who have both broken 10 seconds in the 100m.
Simbine and Van Niekerk won’t be running at Green Point on Tuesday, but Henricho Bruintjies, with a personal best of 9.97, will. So, who says the “Blitz from Klapmuts” can’t reclaim or at least match Simbine’s 9.96?
Bruintjies is out to make a statement of his own, although it will be tough to break 10 seconds at sea level.
Other notable names participating include 400m hurdler LJ van Zyl, Elroy Gelant and Johan Cronjé in the 5 000m and Victor Hogan in the discus.