Cleared Semenya targets African event for return
Source: Agencies |
July 8, 2010, Thursday
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WORLD 800 meters champion Caster Semenya, who is returning to competition after controversial gender tests put her career on hold, will not compete in the world junior championships in Canada but might run in the African championships later in July, her coach said.
Semenya, who was cleared to compete as a woman on Tuesday, has not run competitively since undergoing tests at the Berlin world championships in August.
Yesterday, the 19-year-old South African ran 600m in fitness tests to determine if she was ready to compete after the long absence.
"Instead of 90 seconds, she did 95 and 98 (seconds), but these tests were not to qualify to compete in Canada. She will be ready for Kenya," her coach Michael Seme said.
The African Athletics Championships in Nairobi start on July 28. Seme said Semenya would not be ready in time for Canada.
"We heard just yesterday that she can run now. That competition is on the 19th, and the 19th is like tomorrow. How can you expect her to run if she did not plan to run?" he said.
"When you notify somebody that they can now participate in races, you have to give them opportunities to get ready."
Semenya sprang to prominence last year with her rapid improvement over 800 metres. Her winning time in Berlin of one minute 55.45 seconds was the fastest of 2009.
In a statement released by her lawyers on Tuesday, she said, she was "thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me."
"Caster has been a role model all along," Athletics South Africa spokesman Richard Stander told reporters. "(We) will do everything in our power to assist her and her coach to go and participate wherever she would like to prepare for the international event."
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it accepted the findings of an expert medical panel.
"The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect," the sport's ruling body said in a statement.
Lawyers acting for Semenya said the decision to allow her to compete came after a "landmark settlement" between the IAAF and the athlete.
Semenya's lawyer Greg Nott said details of the settlement would remain confidential.
"Our direct negotiations with the IAAF representatives, through the mediator, have been ongoing for 10 months," he said. "Meetings have been held in Monaco, Istanbul and Paris, but due to the nature of the matter the parties resolved to keep the negotiations confidential."
Semenya, who was cleared to compete as a woman on Tuesday, has not run competitively since undergoing tests at the Berlin world championships in August.
Yesterday, the 19-year-old South African ran 600m in fitness tests to determine if she was ready to compete after the long absence.
"Instead of 90 seconds, she did 95 and 98 (seconds), but these tests were not to qualify to compete in Canada. She will be ready for Kenya," her coach Michael Seme said.
The African Athletics Championships in Nairobi start on July 28. Seme said Semenya would not be ready in time for Canada.
"We heard just yesterday that she can run now. That competition is on the 19th, and the 19th is like tomorrow. How can you expect her to run if she did not plan to run?" he said.
"When you notify somebody that they can now participate in races, you have to give them opportunities to get ready."
Semenya sprang to prominence last year with her rapid improvement over 800 metres. Her winning time in Berlin of one minute 55.45 seconds was the fastest of 2009.
In a statement released by her lawyers on Tuesday, she said, she was "thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me."
"Caster has been a role model all along," Athletics South Africa spokesman Richard Stander told reporters. "(We) will do everything in our power to assist her and her coach to go and participate wherever she would like to prepare for the international event."
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it accepted the findings of an expert medical panel.
"The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect," the sport's ruling body said in a statement.
Lawyers acting for Semenya said the decision to allow her to compete came after a "landmark settlement" between the IAAF and the athlete.
Semenya's lawyer Greg Nott said details of the settlement would remain confidential.
"Our direct negotiations with the IAAF representatives, through the mediator, have been ongoing for 10 months," he said. "Meetings have been held in Monaco, Istanbul and Paris, but due to the nature of the matter the parties resolved to keep the negotiations confidential."
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