Caster Semenya sets new SA record in Rabat Diamond League

Caster Semenya streaks to victory in the 1 000m event at the Rabat Diamond League on Friday night. Photo: Youssef Boudlal/Reuters

Caster Semenya streaks to victory in the 1 000m event at the Rabat Diamond League on Friday night. Photo: Youssef Boudlal/Reuters

Published Jul 14, 2018

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CAPE TOWN – After obliterating her national 800m record recently, Caster Semenya sped to a new South African mark in the seldom-run 1 000m race at the Rabat Diamond League meeting in Morocco on Friday night.

Semenya stormed to the front of the field from the start, only trailing American pace-maker Chrishuna Williams after the first 400m.

The 27-year-old Semenya virtually ran her own race as she tried to chase down the 1 000m world best set of 2:28.98 by Russian Svetlana Masterkova in 1996.

Semenya herself ran a new SA record and personal best of 2:35.43 in March.

Her main opposition on Friday in Rabat was expected to come from Ugandan Winnie Nanyondo, who had a season’s best of 2:37.98, and Kenyan Nelly Jepkosgei, who held the Diamond League record of 2:35.43, which was set in 2013.

But they were no match for Semenya, who hurtled down the home straight, but came short of Masterkova’s world mark.

Nevertheless, her winning time of 2:31.01 was also a world lead, and she expressed her satisfaction afterwards.

“It was a very good race, but unfortunately it was not as fast as I expected. I hope to be here next year because it is always nice to be in Africa,” Semenya told the Diamond League website.

#DiamondLeague or not @caster800m continues to dominate on the track.

She breaks the South African record over 1000m, running 2.31.01. #RabatDL pic.twitter.com/c0UFJR4V9K

— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 13, 2018

There were two other South African athletes in action on the night, with 5 000m runner Dominique Scott-Efurd ending ninth in a time of 15:11.65 – not far off her personal best of 15:10.23 – while long jumper Zarck Visser finished in sixth spot with a distance of 7.79m.

@ashfakmohamed

 

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