LONDON – Proving to be a masterful tactician, Caster Semenya booked her place for Monday’s 1 500m final, getting her one step closer to the 800m-1 500m double at the IAAF World Championships in London.
The Olympic women’s 800m gold medallist bided her time in the middle of the pack as they moved through the three-and-three-quarter-lap race in front.
At the bell, Semenya was still safely tucked in the middle before she started moving up the field, going through the final bend tracking Olympic 1 500m champion Faith Kipyegon and British runner Laura Muir.
Semenya crossed the line in a time of four minutes, 03:08 seconds (4:03.08), with Kipyegon and Muir finishing ahead of her.
Speaking after her race, Semenya predicted she would come close to breaking Zola Budd’s 31-year-old South African record of 4:01.81 she set in Port Elizabeth in 1986 when she lines up in the final.
“That (SA record) will come in the final. I can see what they are trying to do, they are trying to stretch it out with two laps to go, and all I need to do is to play around with it,” Semenya said.
“The race was great. It is all about getting into the final and just being safe.
“We are happy with the outcome, now it is just about just going to get rest for the final.”