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800m Gold for Caster as Worlds come to an end

───   06:50 Mon, 14 Aug 2017

800m Gold for Caster as Worlds come to an end | News Article
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Caster Semenya ended the athletics world championships in London with victory, storming away down the home straight to claim the 800 metres gold medal.


The South African backed up her Olympic title by powering home in a personal best one minute 55.16 seconds, the fastest time in the world for nine years.

Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and American Ajee Wilson were in the mix as the race entered the home straight, but Semenya stepped on the accelerator to pull away and win by 0.76 seconds.

The 26-year-old has been in the spotlight since first becoming world champion aged 18 in 2009, having been scrutinised for high levels of testosterone.

Athletics' world governing body the IAAF wants to reinstate rules limiting how much testosterone female athletes can have in their bodies following research into hyperandrogenism.

The rule had been suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for two years in July 2015, but the IAAF is preparing to make a submission for why it should return.

But Semenya has brushed off that development this championship, saying after winning 1500m bronze last week: "For me I have no time for that. It's been like this since 2009.

"For me, when you listen to music and have one song playing each and every time... it's been almost nine years and it's quite boring. I have no time for that."

IAAF president Sebastian Coe has also expressed the need to tread carefully, saying: "We don't want to turn this into a witch hunt or demonising athletes."

Kenya's Helen Obiri kicked away from Ethiopia's 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana in the final 300m to claim a convincing victory in the 5,000m.

The pair had a huge lead for much of the race with Obiri tracking Ayana's every move before leaving her rival for dead on the last lap to take gold in 14:34.86.

There was more Kenyan joy in the men's 1500m as Elijah Manangoi claimed gold in 3:33.61, ahead of team-mate Timothy Cheruiyot.

Norway's Filip Ingebrigtsen held on for bronze.

Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim, the great home hope for the next Worlds in Doha in 2019, ensured he would head into that event as the defending champion by winning high jump gold with a leap of 2.35m.

Dominant Croatian Sandra Perkovic took discus gold with a throw of 70.31m.

The United States finished a championship in which they topped the medal table with 10 golds and 30 medals in total by winning the women's 4x400m relay, but having to settle for silver in the men's event behind Trinidad and Tobago.

Victory for the women's quartet earned Allyson Felix, who ran a superb split of 48.7 on her second leg, her 17th global title.

"It does mean so much to me every time," Felix said.

"I'm grateful to run with these amazing girls. They work so hard and deserve all their success. It's an honour to run in the relay for Team USA and I will always treasure these moments."


AAP

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