JOHANNESBURG, July 21 (ANA) – Caster Semenya improved her own national record to 1 minute 55.27 seconds to claim victory in the women’s 800 metre at the IAAF Diamond League event in Monaco on Friday.
Asking the pacemaker to go out in 55 seconds, the race set out at a furious pace with Semenya leading the pack.
With 200m to go, Semenya was still level with Burundian Francine Niyonsaba and American Ajee Wilson. It was only in the final straight that the Olympic Champion Semenya was able to forge a narrow gap, and maintained her advantage to the line.
Niyonsaba claimed second in 1:55.47 with Wilson taking third in 1:55.61.
The 26-year-old improved her previous personal best by one hundredth of a second at the Rio Olympics last year.
“I showed my strength, it was a hard fight until the end. The girls surprised me how good they ran. The pace was ok for me I wanted to go around 56 [for the first lap],” said Semenya afterwards.
“I think I can run really really fast we are training for that. Now we still must decide, maybe tonight what I will do in London, if only 800 or also 400 or 1500 m. Main thing is to stay healthy and then a top result will come.”
Earlier in the men’s 400m, Wayde van Niekerk had to work hard to claim victory in 43.73. Isaac Makwala of Botswana was second in 43.84 with countryman Baboloki Thebe taking third some way behind in 44.26.
Running in lane five It appeared that Van Niekerk had gone too hard in the first 150m, with Makwala pulling ahead on the stagger.
Coming into the final straight, Van Niekerk was level with Makwala but the world record holder looked to be tiring. The 25-year-old, however, dug deep and found something in the final 80 metres to pull off the win. – African News Agency (ANA)
