Semenya back to winning form
19 February 2011, 16:47
World 800m champion Caster Semenya says she hopes to double in the two-lap event and the 1 500m at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
“Maybe at the Olympics next year I will try and race both distances,” she said after winning her first 800m race in four months on Saturday.
It was her first appearance in her specialist event on South African soil in two years. Her only previous local race during that period was the last leg of a 4X400m relay race at a high school meeting in Pretoria last month.
Semenya held off a strong challenge from South African champion Mapaseka Makhanya to win the women’s 800m final at the Yellow Pages Series meeting in Potchefstroom on Saturday.
The 20-year-old, who clocked 2:04.12, took the lead from the start and dragged four other women through the first lap.
All her challengers had fallen away by the final bend, and while Makhanya was on her shoulder with 80m to go, Semenya held on to win by less than a second. Makhanya clocked 2:04.99 and Annuschka Nice was third in 2:07.75.
Semenya, who confirmed she would run the women’s 1 500m race at the Yellow Pages meeting in Pretoria next week, said she had not yet fully recovered from a back injury that kept her out of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October and the Yellow Pages Summer Series in December.
“I’m still receiving treatment for the injury and I’m seeing a physiotherapist,” she said.
“They have guaranteed me that I will be completely healed within two months.”
She said she was pleased to return to the track in winning form, and hoped to improve significantly in her next outing over two laps. She did not say when she expected to compete in her specialist event again.
“It’s a good start to the year. I haven’t raced in South Africa in a long time and today shows that my preparations are on track for the World Championships,” she said.
“My time was a bit slow but I’m very impressed with my performance and next time I will try and run under two minutes.”
Robert Oosthuizen, a former World Championships finalist, became the first South African to qualify for the global championships in Daegu, South Korea, in August in his first competition in almost a year.
Oosthuizen picked up a groin injury at the national championships in Durban last year which left him on the sidelines for the rest of the 2011 season.
The 24-year-old produced a best heave of 83.82m in the men’s javelin throw to secure victory by more than nine metres from Hardus Pienaar, easily bettering the qualifying standard of 82m.
Former African record holder Justine Robbeson comfortably defeated Commonwealth champion Sunette Viljoen in the women’s javelin throw.
Robbeson, who has been troubled by an elbow injury in recent years, threw a best of 60.93m. Viljoen was well behind with a best of 55.85m.
South African 1 500m and 10 000m champion Stephen Mokoka clocked a stunning time of 7:55.92 at altitude to win the men’s 3 000m race.
Mokoka started slowly but held on to training partner Gladwin Mzazi for most of the race before pulling away with a lap to go. Mzazi was second in 8:01.34.
RESULTS
Men: 200m:
1 Roscoe Engel 20.76,
2 Hitjivirue Kaanjuka 20.96,
3 Wade Jooste 20.97
400m:
1 Sibusiso Sishi 46.80,
2 Isaac Makwala 46.81,
3 Jacob Ramokoka 46.81
3 000m:
1 Stephen Mokoka 7:55.92,
2 Gladwin Mzazi 8:01.34,
3 David Skosi-Tsosane 8:02.84
3 000m walk:
1 Pierre de Villiers 12:21.93,
2 Lebogang Shange 12:34.22,
3 Wayne Snyman 12:42.93
110m hurdles:
1 Sors Joubert 14.61,
2 Emanuel Pepgis 14.87,
3 Titos Nhacila 15.22
400m hurdles:
1 Cornel Fredericks 49.60,
2 PC Beneke 51.22,
3 Pieter Koekemoer 51.59
Javelin throw:
1 Robert Oosthuizen 83.82,
2 Hardus Pienaar 74.53,
3 Toby Holtzhauzen 74.29
Triple jump:
1 Tumelo Thagane 16.75,
2 Robert Heitengi 15.96,
3 Charles le Roux 15.69
Women: 200m:
1 Cindy Stewart 24.54,
2 Cindy Peters 24.61,
3 Rijane Swart 24.98
400m:
1 Wenda Theron 54.21,
2 Tjipekapora Herunga 54.73,
3 Sonja van der Merwe 55.02
800m:
1 Caster Semenya 2:04.12,
2 Mapaseka Makhanya 2:04.99,
3 Annuschka Nice 2:07.75
3 000m:
1 Lebogang Phalula 9:26.63,
2 Rene Kalmer 9:27.18,
3 Lebo Phalula 9:32.87
3 000m walk:
1 Michelle Hopkins 15:12.74,
2 Nomsa Buthelezi 15:20.17,
3 Inge Kotze 15:22.54
100m hurdles:
1 Janet Lawless 13.95,
2 Rikenette Steenkamp 13.96,
3 Erika Kleynhans 14.19
Javelin throw:
1 Justine Robbeson 60.93,
2 Sunette Viljoen 55.85,
3 Gerlize de Klerk 54.38
High jump:
1 Anika Smit 1.76,
2 Selloanee Tsoaeli 1.76,
3 Janet Lawless 1.65
Triple jump:
1 Cindy Peters 12.96,
2 Patience Ntshingila 12.51,
3 Arline Muller 12.47