Matome Lebea

Matome Lebea

Athletes Caster Semenya, 17, Ryno de Lange, 16, and Maryke Oberholzer, 17, were commended by Limpopo Athletics (Lima) for splendid performances that won them places in the national teams.

The event was held in Polokwane on Wednesday.

Kakata Maponyane, Lima's president, said yesterday that Semenya and De Lange represented Athletics South Africa at the recent Southern Regional Championships in Tshwane.

Oberholzer will represent ASA in the Zone Six African Championships in Potchefstroom in December.

"Semenya won the women's 800m in a time of 2min:08sec. De Lange finished third in the men's 800 in 1:53 and also set his personal best time," Maponyane said.

"Semenya also represented the country during the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Poland and obtained fifth position in the 800m."

Semenya, from Fairly village in Moletji area, set two South African national records at the recent Commonwealth Youth Track and Field Championships in India, with a personal best performance of 2min:04sec. This rocketed her to 11th in the rankings for women's open category internationally and second in ASA.

"I was inspired by my teachers at Ntlemo High School to work harder. My aim now is to improve the ASA record that I set recently and work hard to ensure that I am ready for the 2012 Olympics," said Semenya, who is in matric.

"I am confident that my standard and pace will improve dramatically next year as I will be studying at the University of Pretoria."