REIGNING world 800m champion Caster Semenya is eyeing a second successive World Championships gold medal in honour of former president Nelson Mandela.
Semenya starts the defence of the title she won at the drama-filled 2009 championships in Germany tomorrow in Daegu, South Korea.
"The moment of truth has finally arrived and I'm determined to silence all my critics by successfully defending my title," Semenya said yesterday.
"I was surprised that people have been saying all sorts of things about me prior to the championships and it was clear they wanted to sway my focus from the championships. But they did not succeed because I have been working hard preparing myself and I will prove my mettle on Thursday.
"I want to win this title in honour of Madiba.
"The old man has been my source of inspiration and I want to win my race for him. He sacrificed 27 years of his life to liberate the country. He was jailed for telling the truth but he did not hold any grudge for those who oppressed us when he came out of jail.
"I also owe it to all South Africans who have been rallying behind me and want to celebrate my victory with them considering that my success in Germany was overshadowed by investigations on me," she said.
The adored Limpopo athlete will face stiff resistance from the Kenyans but is not concerned about them "because I'm ready for any challenges". The 20-year-old was suspended for almost a year soon after winning gold in the 2009 event, prompting the IAAF to investigate her gender.
Semenya's muscular physique and deep voice drew questions about her gender. The international body, however, gave Semenya the green light to run as a woman in November 2010 after reviewing the results of her gender tests.
Semenya's manager Percy Mphago said: "I speak to Caster on a regular basis and she is clear in her mind that the 800m title is coming back to South Africa."
Moment of truth is here, says Caster
REIGNING world 800m champion Caster Semenya is eyeing a second successive World Championships gold medal in honour of former president Nelson Mandela.
Semenya starts the defence of the title she won at the drama-filled 2009 championships in Germany tomorrow in Daegu, South Korea.
"The moment of truth has finally arrived and I'm determined to silence all my critics by successfully defending my title," Semenya said yesterday.
"I was surprised that people have been saying all sorts of things about me prior to the championships and it was clear they wanted to sway my focus from the championships. But they did not succeed because I have been working hard preparing myself and I will prove my mettle on Thursday.
"I want to win this title in honour of Madiba.
"The old man has been my source of inspiration and I want to win my race for him. He sacrificed 27 years of his life to liberate the country. He was jailed for telling the truth but he did not hold any grudge for those who oppressed us when he came out of jail.
"I also owe it to all South Africans who have been rallying behind me and want to celebrate my victory with them considering that my success in Germany was overshadowed by investigations on me," she said.
The adored Limpopo athlete will face stiff resistance from the Kenyans but is not concerned about them "because I'm ready for any challenges". The 20-year-old was suspended for almost a year soon after winning gold in the 2009 event, prompting the IAAF to investigate her gender.
Semenya's muscular physique and deep voice drew questions about her gender. The international body, however, gave Semenya the green light to run as a woman in November 2010 after reviewing the results of her gender tests.
Semenya's manager Percy Mphago said: "I speak to Caster on a regular basis and she is clear in her mind that the 800m title is coming back to South Africa."
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