Two times 800m Olympic champion Caster Semenya has her sights set on the African Championships after she won the 3,000m race at the ASA Grand Prix at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday.
She won the run with a personal best of 8min:54.97sec. Her dominant aura on the track was evident, she ran with confidence as she went on to improve her time in the distance event.
Semenya was the pick of the marquee athletes that were present in the windy Cape Town and she did not disappoint, putting a show for the spectators who were in the stands for the second leg of the ASA Grand Prix.
The Limpopo-born world-class athlete was happy with how she and her mentee Glenrose Xaba tackled the tricky winded race. "I thought I'd interchange, she took charge, she told me I'll pass when she's slowing down a little bit, we did just that," said Semenya.
"We ran according to the plan, unfortunately, the wind was hitting us a lot, especially on the home strade, the bends were a little bit difficult to run. But pushing like that, you get a result.
"It's always great to see your people when you come on to the track, they show appreciation and you show appreciation to them by giving back great performances," she said.
The next major event for Semenya would be the SA National Championships which will be in Cape Town next month. She's ready for what the event will throw at her, toying around running the 5,000m and 10,000m.
"We have the nationals coming this side, we already know the weather conditions. We must be prepared because we'll be doing 5k or maybe 10k, we don't know. If we do 10k it will depend on the timetable.
"Maybe we do it, maybe we don't; the coach had decided we still need to learn a lot about it, we'll decide when we decide," said Semenya.
With the time she recently ran, according to World Track, she's within the qualifying time for the 5,000m event for the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July. Semenya is not thinking about the World Championships but is focused on her primary goal – the African Championships – which will be in June.
"If it comes it comes, it is possible if you're able to run sub-nine on a 3k, it shows you can go 15:10 on a 5k. For me, it's not always the goal. The goal is to show that I still have a love for athletics.
"I'll be grateful if we're able to go to the world champs. At the moment the goal is to run in the African champs," said Semenya.
Semenya upbeat after 3,000m personal best
Olympic champion looks ahead to busy season
Image: Roger Sedres
Two times 800m Olympic champion Caster Semenya has her sights set on the African Championships after she won the 3,000m race at the ASA Grand Prix at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday.
She won the run with a personal best of 8min:54.97sec. Her dominant aura on the track was evident, she ran with confidence as she went on to improve her time in the distance event.
Semenya was the pick of the marquee athletes that were present in the windy Cape Town and she did not disappoint, putting a show for the spectators who were in the stands for the second leg of the ASA Grand Prix.
The Limpopo-born world-class athlete was happy with how she and her mentee Glenrose Xaba tackled the tricky winded race. "I thought I'd interchange, she took charge, she told me I'll pass when she's slowing down a little bit, we did just that," said Semenya.
"We ran according to the plan, unfortunately, the wind was hitting us a lot, especially on the home strade, the bends were a little bit difficult to run. But pushing like that, you get a result.
"It's always great to see your people when you come on to the track, they show appreciation and you show appreciation to them by giving back great performances," she said.
The next major event for Semenya would be the SA National Championships which will be in Cape Town next month. She's ready for what the event will throw at her, toying around running the 5,000m and 10,000m.
"We have the nationals coming this side, we already know the weather conditions. We must be prepared because we'll be doing 5k or maybe 10k, we don't know. If we do 10k it will depend on the timetable.
"Maybe we do it, maybe we don't; the coach had decided we still need to learn a lot about it, we'll decide when we decide," said Semenya.
With the time she recently ran, according to World Track, she's within the qualifying time for the 5,000m event for the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July. Semenya is not thinking about the World Championships but is focused on her primary goal – the African Championships – which will be in June.
"If it comes it comes, it is possible if you're able to run sub-nine on a 3k, it shows you can go 15:10 on a 5k. For me, it's not always the goal. The goal is to show that I still have a love for athletics.
"I'll be grateful if we're able to go to the world champs. At the moment the goal is to run in the African champs," said Semenya.
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