South African athlete Caster Semenya (2nd-R) competes in the women's 1500 meters during the Diamond League athletics competition at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, on May 4, 2018. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Home » South African Records for Caster Semenya and Carina Horn in Doha, Qatar

South African Records for Caster Semenya and Carina Horn in Doha, Qatar

Caster Semenya showed she’s not bothered by the latest rumpus surrounding testosterone levels in female athletes, as she raced to an imperious world-leading time in the women’s 1500-metre event in Friday’s IAAF Diamond League in Doha, Qatar, writes MARK ETHERIDGE. Semenya was almost contemptuous of her competition as she raced to a personal best and […]

By SAPeople
05-05-18 17:44
in Fab South African Stuff
South African athlete Caster Semenya (2nd-R) competes in the women's 1500 meters during the Diamond League athletics competition at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, on May 4, 2018. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Caster Semenya showed she’s not bothered by the latest rumpus surrounding testosterone levels in female athletes, as she raced to an imperious world-leading time in the women’s 1500-metre event in Friday’s IAAF Diamond League in Doha, Qatar, writes MARK ETHERIDGE.

South African athlete Caster Semenya (2nd-R) competes in the women’s 1500 meters during the Diamond League athletics competition at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, on May 4, 2018. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Semenya was almost contemptuous of her competition as she raced to a personal best and new national record of 3min 59.92sec.

That beat her gold medal-winning time of 4:00.71 from just over three weeks ago where she set a Commonwealth Games record in Australia’s Gold Coast.

Semenya, who also won 800m gold in Gold Coast, seemed content to wait things out as the pace was pedestrian early on and, indeed, looked to be almost falling over her feet in impatience.

Never pushed to take the lead, she sat off the pace until the last lap and then started moving up down the back straight before pulling clear of a flailing field as she flew the South African flag high.

She beat runner-up Nelly Jepkosgei by more than a second, the Kenyan clocking 4:00.99.

Semenya told the official Diamond League website after her race: ‘I wanted to go faster, but had to slow down a little. It’s always been a dream to set the NR and continue to push beyond my PB, and I think we definitely achieved what we came here for.

‘I want to maintain this momentum throughout the season, but will also make sure I continue to keep healthy. My immediate next step is to go back and watch the race, and see where we can improve.’

But for once, Semenya’s actual athletics feat had to take a back seat to a fellow athlete, as compatriot Carina Horn was pulled to a national 100m record!

Horn broke last century’s national mark of Evette de Klerk earlier this year when she ran 11.03.

But that mark was left in the dust of Doha as she raced to the first ever sub 11-second 100m by a South African as she ended sixth in a time of 10.98sec.

The race was won by Horn’s fellow African, Cote D’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou in a world-leading 10.85 from yet another African entry, Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor in third place.