South Africa: Caster Semenya breaks African record of 800m

South African track star Caster Semenya broke the 800m African Championships record last sunday, on the final day of the 21st African Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria.

With this new record of 1 min 56 seconds and 06 hundredths on the 800, Semenya broke the record held by the Mozambican icon Maria Mutola at the championships of Africa Durban in 1993. This year, Burundian Francine Niyonsaba earned the silver in 1:57 and 97 hundredths followed by Bayih Habitam Alemu of Ethiopia in 1min 58 seconds and 86 hundredths.

Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya won her second gold medal after Friday’s women’s 400m final, becoming the first South African sprinter to get the gold medal under the 50-second mark.

Caste makes South African history after recent medal upgrade

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland recently dismissed Russian Maria Savinova’s appeal against her disqualification for doping during the 2011 championships in Daegu‚ South Korea‚ and the Olympics the following year, making Caster Semenya winner of the gold medals.

With that, “Semenya becomes the first South African to win golds at two consecutive Olympics‚ and she nudges Wayde van Niekerk off the mantle as South Africa’s first reigning world champion to win an Olympic title.”

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Sources: Kwese Espn & Timeslive