For Caster Semenya it was business as usual, powering to victory in the Doha leg of the IAAF Diamond League on Friday. For those who support her, it was an act of defiance.
CAPE TOWN – Stoic, unbending and defiant. Caster Semenya was the picture of fortitude as she stormed to victory in Doha on Friday night.
Wearing her familiar black and silver state-of-the-art running suit, Semenya stood at the starting line, on the outskirts in lane 8, with hands at her hips, hair slicked back. She stood still, with no expression on her face as she cast her eyes around her until her name boomed around the Khalifa Stadium. “Caster Semenya!”
Even in the aftermath of the stinging ruling by Court of Arbitration for Sport, Semenya had nothing to prove. She is the fastest female athlete in the 800m at the moment. Of that, there is little doubt. But as of 8 May next week Semenya’s career may see the sunset on it unless she can comply with the IAAF’s new DSD regulations.
She stretched her gazelle-like legs in front of the field quickly completing the first 100 metres, while Semenya slipstreamed behind her left shoulder, tracking her like a stealth bomber. Her eyes fixed ahead. A comfortable pace set in as Francine Niyonsaba, Lynsey Sharp and Ajee Wilson jostled for position behind Semenya.
With 300m to go, Yarigo’s pace-setting exercise had expired and she dropped out, leaving Semenya to take the lead with a substantial gap open on the rest of the field. The IAAF would like us to believe that it is gaps like that should be closed between athletes like Semenya and the rest of female athletes.
Semenya accepted her winner’s bouquet and promptly tossed it into the crowd. This was work, her work. She was unemotional. She was taking care of business. Her closest challenger, Niyonsaba finished nearly a full three seconds behind her. Sharp finished a miserable ninth – nearly eight seconds behind Semenya.
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