Aussie Brittany McGowan says it’s unfair to compare runners to South African Caster Semenya

AUSSIE 800m runner Brittany McGowan has sensationally slammed having her times compared to the blistering speed of controversial South African star Caster Semenya.

AUSSIE 800m runner Brittany McGowan has sensationally slammed having her times compared to the blistering speed of controversial South African star Caster Semenya.

As Semenya, famously subjected to gender testing, tweeted that she would “never apologise for being me”, McGowan said it was difficult for athletes whose performances were judged against the South African’s extraordinary feats.

“It’s a tough one. It’s tough for a lot of women in the 800m, 400m and 1500m at the moment to compare ourselves and be judged by our governing bodies on those times,’’ said McGowan, the Canberra-based Queenslander who ran in the same 800m heat as Semenya at last year’s world titles.

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Caster Semenya competes on the Gold Coast on Monday. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“I think in the end you have to stand on the start line and give it all you have got, regardless of what else is going on (in) the race.’’
The South African’s 800m personal best of 1min55.16sec, to win last year’s world title in London, was the fastest women’s 800m time since 2008.

McGowan’s 2:00.24 in winning the 800m final at the national titles in February was the fastest time by an Australian woman in nine years.

Semenya, South Africa’s Games flag bearer last Wednesday, will make her first appearance at Carrara Stadium Monday afternoon.

She has twice won an Olympic gold medal in the 800m after a traumatic period of almost 12 months from mid-2009, in which she was temporarily suspended from international competition while subjected to sex tests.

Brittany McGowan says it’s unfair for many runners to be compared to Semenya.

“I will never apologise for being me. You should apologise for asking me to be anything else,’’ Semenya tweeted on Friday, without elaborating.

At 1am yesterday, Semenya tweeted from the Gold Coast: “Be proud of who you and not ashamed of how others see you.’’

Semenya has entered the 800m and 1500m at the Gold Coast Games and the 1500m, her less distinguished event, has Australian entrants Linden Hall, Georgia Griffin and Zoe Buckman up for the heats tomorrow.

McGowan, Georgia Griffin and Keely Small will contest the 800m heats for Australia on Thursday.

Semenya said this week she wants to take middle-distance running for women to “another level in sporting history’’, which is exactly what some of her competitors will have been afraid of.

Semenya was flagbearer for South Africa at the opening ceremony.

McGowan, 26, was a Brisbane hockey player when she decided in 2013 she wanted to get fitter and went to the University of Queensland track, quickly being attracted to an athletics career.

McGowan is coached by her fiancé James Kaan and Victorian Nic Bideau and is aiming to become the sixth Australian woman to have run a sub-2 min 800m.

“It’s a milestone, but to be so close to breaking two minutes I guess there are more to come,’’ she said.

“This stadium (Carrara) reminds me of the Glasgow stadium for the last Commonwealth Games and how good that was when it was full. These Games are going to be spectacular with the home fans.’’

Hall is third in the Australian women’s 1500m all-time list behind Sarah Jamieson’s 4.00.93 national record from 2006.

Originally published as Aussie Brittany McGowan says it’s unfair to compare runners to South African Caster Semenya