Caster’s spotlight on speed
WORLD 800m star Caster Semenya will add the 400m to her competition list at the SA track and field championships in Tshwane on April 11 and 12.
“I want to start competing in the 400m seriously for speed training; it is important that I keep on improving my speed,” she said this week.
“For now, 400m is confirmed for the national track and field championships. I don’t only want to win my local and global events, I want to do it by clocking good times.”
The addition of the 400m is part of Semenya’s training programme for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland from July 23 to August 3.
Guided by former Olympic and world 800m champion Maria Mutola, Semenya, 23, is determined to win gold in Scotland.
Should she qualify, it will be the first time Semenya will participate in the Commonwealth Games at senior level.
In 2008, Semenya — who is also competing in the 1 500m — won 800m gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2min 04.23sec.
“I have decided to keep a low profile and focus on my training. It’s been going well and I’m happy with the progress,” Semenya said.
“Coach Maria has developed a special training programme to ensure I’m in great shape to win gold in Scotland and contribute to the success of Team South Africa.”
Semenya, whose personal best in the 800m is 1:55.45, with 4:08.01 in the 1 500m, said she is delighted the knee injury that troubled her has healed.
The injury, which she sustained last year after winning silver at the 2012 London Olympics, made it impossible for her to qualify for the world championships in Moscow in 2013.
In the only official 400m race she competed in, the staunch Kaizer Chiefs supporter comfortably won the event in Stellenbosch in 53.62 in December 2012.
Semenya hopes to win gold at the African Senior Track Championships in Morocco from August 10 to 14.
“I want to be included in the team to represent Africa in the IAAF Continental Cup [formerly IAAF World Cup].”
The IAAF Continental Cup will be held in Marrakech on September 13 and 14.