Caster Semenya eager to put gender tests behind her, concentrate on 2012 Olympics
By APFriday, August 20, 2010
In Berlin, Semenya eager to forget gender tests
BERLIN — Caster Semenya is trying to forget the gender tests that kept her off the track for 11 months. She wants to focus on next year’s world championships and the 2012 London Olympics.
Semenya will return to the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Sunday, the venue where she won the 800-meter world championship title last year before her career was put on hold because of gender tests ordered by the track and field world governing body.
“I don’t want to talk about the past. I want to talk about the future,” Semenya said Friday. “I am preparing for the Olympics and that’s what I want to talk about.”
The 19-year-old South African hopes to run under two minutes Sunday in Berlin. She’ll compete in the Diamond League final Aug. 27 in Brussels and two meets in Italy — on Aug. 31 in Rovereto and on Sept. 9 in Milan.
She’s aiming to make the South African team for the Commonwealth Games in October.
Semenya was cleared to compete in July and run only twice since her ban was lifted — at two minor races in Finland. Her Finnish manager, Jukka Harkonen, also said it was time to put the ban behind his client.
“The case is closed. We want to forget,” Harkonen said. “I have no idea why the investigation took that long.”
Semenya said the enforced break may even turn out to have some benefit for her career.
“It was good to spend time with my family, friends. It was good to rest,” she said. “Maybe I can come back with fast times.”
Semenya ran 2:02.41 in her second race, a marked improvement over 2:04.22 in her comeback race. Yet it’s far behind the 1:55.45 she ran to capture the world title in Berlin.
Her coach, Michael Seme, said Semenya was grateful to meet organizers for inviting her.
“Maybe it will help her run fast times. We still need some races. Without competition, you can’t run fast,” Seme said. “We are fighting for under two minutes, but it’s going to be difficult.”
Semenya has not been selected for the South African team for the Oct. 3-14 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. A final cut will be made Aug. 25, and she is expected to be included.
But Semenya is focused on defending her title at next year’s world championships in Daegu, South Korea. Then comes the London Olympics in 2012.
“It’s going to be a different year next year,” Harkonen said. “Everything she had done in the past had gone down the toilet. … Now, I really hope Caster’s career will take off.”
