Caster Semenya added to South Africas medal tally at the IAAF World Championship in London on Monday night by winning bronze in the 1,500m.
In a tough field, in an event she doesnt run regularly, Semenya ran a dubious tactical race. Fast right from the get-go, Semenya almost looked like she was taken by surprise with the final lap, but her ability to accelerate on the final straight ensured a podium finish.
Third behind Faith Kipyegon (4:02.59) and Jennifer Simpson (4:02.76), Semenyas time of 4:02:90 is some way off her personal best, but that hardly mattered. This is not her main event.
Semenya did what she always does in all her races. She sat back, dropping to the middle of the pack and letting the other runners do the hard work. Great Britains Laura Muir went fast
She let everyone do the hard work. And then, when she had dropped right to the back, she set off for the final lap. As the bell sounded, the pace increased, she gave it all on the final straight with bodies bundling over the
The medal is vindication and another box ticked in the legacy of an athlete who will be considered one of the best South Africa has ever produced.
On pure athletic ability, she is
That dedication has earned her plenty of accolades and her coach, Jean Verster, has nothing but praise for her dedication to the cause.
But it is off the track where Semenya is really beyond compare.
Semenya is gentle and engaging and yet she doesnt owe anyone any of this.
With the way she has been mistreated both by the professional bodies that are supposed to protect her and some of her fellow athletes nobody would begrudge her if she, well, held a bit of a grudge.
And yet, she doesnt. Instead, she is impeccably polite. Whether thats congratulating every single one of her competitors after a race whatever they might have said about her before or simply greeting everyone at the track, Semenya embodies the spirit of sport.
Her compassion is beyond compare. And she is not afraid to speak up for her fellow runners.
After winning in Rio last year, when reporters quizzed the women on the podium about whether they had taken testosterone-suppressing medication, Semenya refused to have the so-called intersex controversy get in the way of their achievements.
Excuse me, my friend, tonight is all about performance, we are not here to talk about the IAAF and some speculations. Tonight is all about performances, and this press conference is about the 800m that we ran today, so thank you, Semenya told a press conference.
No one asked her to take up the fight for her fellow athletes, but she did. Perhaps because she has been under that horrific and privacy invading scrutiny before at the same young age as her fellow medal winners.
One of the athletes on the podium with her, Margaret Wambui, was just 20 years old in Rio. Semenya has been there, done that, as a teenager herself.
She is an exceptional human being. And despite having every part of her body routinely
In an interview with Ali Bacher on the In Conversation series recently, she said:
I dont understand when you say I have an advantage because I am a woman. When I pee, I pee like a woman. I dont understand when you say Im a man or I have a deep voice. I know Im a female so theres no question for me, she said.
I have to find a way to deflect this, so instead of allowing it to all be negative, I turn it into a positive. My familys support system is fantastic.
Imagine if we all exhibited just an ounce of her humility.
Imagine if those who routine
Photo: Kenya’s Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (C) celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the women’s 1,500m final at the London 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, Britain, 07 August 2017. Kipyegon won ahead of second placed Jennifer Simpson (R) of the USA and third placed Caster Semenya (L) of South Africa. EPA/SRDJAN SUKI
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