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Controversial Semenya runs season best on comeback
World 800m champion Caster Semenya ran a season's best time of one minute 59.90 seconds to easily win her third comeback race here on Sunday as she rebuilds her
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: August 22, 2010 03:35 PM IST
Read Time: 2 min
Berlin :
The 19-year-old South African was back at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where she won her world crown last August, only for the sport's governing body, the IAAF to demand a gender test into her abnormally high levels of testosterone.
Having only been cleared to race again last month, Semenya looked comfortable at the World Challenge meet, her third since her comeback, and dipped below two minutes for the first time since coming back.
She attacked in the last 100 metres and breezed past second-placed Cherono Koech of Kenya and third-placed Italian Elisa Piccione Cusma, even though Cherono ran a personal best of two minutes 00.40 seconds.
"It feels good to be back in Berlin," said the teenager.
"I did not think about everything that happened after my gold medal, I just concentrated on my race and my time.
"My goal was to run under two minutes and I achieved that.
"When I won the race, this brought back memories of the 2009 final for me.
"After my training this year, I was a little disappointed with my competition results, but now I am happy as I can see progress.
"My next competition will be Brussels and after that I am looking forward to the Commonwealth Games."Â
World 800m champion Caster Semenya ran a season's best time of one minute 59.90 seconds to easily win her third comeback race here on Sunday as she rebuilds her career after her sex test ordeal.The 19-year-old South African was back at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where she won her world crown last August, only for the sport's governing body, the IAAF to demand a gender test into her abnormally high levels of testosterone.
Having only been cleared to race again last month, Semenya looked comfortable at the World Challenge meet, her third since her comeback, and dipped below two minutes for the first time since coming back.
She attacked in the last 100 metres and breezed past second-placed Cherono Koech of Kenya and third-placed Italian Elisa Piccione Cusma, even though Cherono ran a personal best of two minutes 00.40 seconds.
"It feels good to be back in Berlin," said the teenager.
"I did not think about everything that happened after my gold medal, I just concentrated on my race and my time.
"My goal was to run under two minutes and I achieved that.
"When I won the race, this brought back memories of the 2009 final for me.
"After my training this year, I was a little disappointed with my competition results, but now I am happy as I can see progress.
"My next competition will be Brussels and after that I am looking forward to the Commonwealth Games."Â
Topics mentioned in this article
Athletics
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