Event: Women’s 800m
Age: 21
From: Gauteng North
Personal best: 1:55.45 (Berlin, 19 August 2009)
Season best: 1:59.18 (Germany, 6 July 2012)
World Ranking:21
Olympic Games
Caster Semenya will make her Olympic debut when she lines up in the women’s 800m at 12:35
Major Events
The South African Champion started her career in 2008 as junior athlete. She represented South Africa at the World Junior Championships in Poland.
The Gauteng North athlete became known in 2009, when she won the gold medal at the World Championships in Berlin, in a time of 1:55.45, at the age of 19. In the same year, Semenya won both the 800m and 1500m titles at the African Senior Championships.
She was the silver medallist at the World Championships in Daegu last year, finishing in 1:56.35 behind Mariya Savinova (RUS). Semenya, however, has been struggling to show the same form this year, possibly leaving the best for the Olympic Games.
World Ranking
Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo is currently this season’s world leader, as she clocked
1:56.76 in Germany on 7 July. Semenya is yet to show her top form that won her the silver in Daegu last year and the gold in Berlin in 2009, as she is currently ranked 21st.
This season
Semenya’s best performance this season in the 800m was in Germany on 6 July where she won the event in 1:59.18.
Other performances of the season include:
2:03.60 1 Potchefstroom 24 March
2:02.68 1 Port Elizabeth 14 April
1:59.58 1 Pretoria 20 April
2:00.80 2 Ostrava, Czech Republic 25 May
2:00.07 8 Rome 31 May
1:59.18 1 Germany 6 July
2:01.20 1 Germany 15 July
2:01.67 9 Monaco 20 July
Records
Semenya’s time of 1:55.45, run in Berlin, is a South African Junior as well as Senior record.
Women’s 800m Schedule
Heats: 8 August at 12:35
Semi-Finals: 9 August at 20:30
Finals: 11 August at 21:00
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