Caster Semenya wins 800m final to win historic double

CASTER Semenya raced effortlessly into Commonwealth Games history last night, leaving athletics bosses with the tough decision of how much further they will allow her to run.

Caster Semenya of South Africa celebrates after winning the Women's 800m Final on day nine of the XXI Commonwealth Games, at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, Friday, April 13, 2018. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

CASTER Semenya raced effortlessly into Commonwealth Games history last night, leaving athletics bosses with the tough decision of how much further they will allow her to run.

Semenya, 27, became the third woman to win Commonwealth Games gold medals in the 800m and 1500m in the same year, seeing off Kenyan Margaret Wambui in the two-lap final at Carrara Stadium.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has given world athletics governing body, the IAAF, until July to explain how it intends to implement its hyperandrogenism regulations. The handful of women’s events it has targeted most noticeably including Semenya’s.

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South Africa's Caster Semenya won the 800m final by almost 2 seconds. Picture: AFP Photo/Adrian Dennis

“As a sports science graduate, you tend to understand the psychology of how to handle emotions, how to handle negativity, and turn it into positivity,’’ Semenya said after her dominant win last night.

“I’ve had to learn how to manage it myself, how to face the world.

“It’s not about what other people think of me, it’s about how I think of myself. I’m here to inspire the world, nothing else.”

Both finals this week were won by the South African in Commonwealth Games record times but left the feeling that Semenya, who ranks eighth on the 800m all-time with her personal best of 1:55.16, has a faster time in her.

Semenya became the third woman to do the 800-1500m double at a single Commonwealth Games. Picture: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Earlier in her nine-year international career, South Africans were wary that Semenya was not running her hardest for fear that decisive wins would make her even more heavily scrutinised.

Semenya, who won the 1500m final by 15m, comfortably held off Wambai (1min58.07) in clocking a time of 1:56.68.

In the women’s shot put a good little one beat a great big one when New Zealander Dame Valerie Adams was denied a fourth straight Commonwealth Games gold medal by Jamaican Danniel (correct) Thomas-Dodd.

The 166cm Thomas-Dodd, 17cm shorter than the dual Olympic champion, was behind on a countback after four rounds when both women has thrown 18.70m.

The Jamaican propelled a national-record 19.36m in the fifth-round to win gold.

Olympic champion Dame Valerie Adams was denied a fourth successive Commonwealth Games gold. Picture: AFP Photo/Adrian Dennis

In the men’s discus Queenslander Matthew Denny fell short of a second Commonwealth Games medal, taking fourth place in the discus final.

All six throws by Jamaica’s gold medallist Fedrick Dacres (correct) were longer than anything mustered by his competitors, including Jamaican runner-up Traves Smikle (63.98m).

A Games hammer throw silver medallist last Sunday, Denny was in pursuit of becoming the first man since 1938 to win a discus and hammer throw medal at the same Commonwealth Games.

Australia’s Matthew Denny finished fourth in the Men’s Discus. Picture: AFP Photo/Adrian Dennis

But the 21-year-old took fourth place with his third throw of 62.53 and was dismayed to foul three of his six attempts.

Been (Correct) Harradine’s last Games before retirement brought a sixth placing with 59.92m, with countryman Mitch Cooper fifth with 60.40m.

Meanwhile Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto, the reigning 3000m steeplechase Olympic and world champion, completed his collection of championships crowns with the easiest win of the Gold Coast athletics meet.

Kipruto (8min10.07sec) won as he liked, talking incessantly to his teammates as Kenya made an astonishing sixth consecutive clean sweep of Commonwealth men’s steeplechase medals.

Originally published as Caster Semenya wins 800m final to win historic double