SA claim 17th spot in Daegu

Daegu - South Africa finished 17th (out of 41 countries) on the table after Caster Semenya grabbed the nation’s fourth medal on the final day of the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, on Sunday.

Semenya was down in sixth place after the first lap, but hit the front with 200m to go and looked to have the title in the bag.

The 21-year-old, however, lost out to Russian Mariya Savinova who tore past shortly before the line to win in 1:55.87, with Semenya clocking a season’s best 1:56.35 to clinch silver.

“I think we ran a pretty good race and I’m really happy to have won the silver,” Semenya said after the race.

“I want to thank all the people from South Africa, my coach, training partners, team managers and my support team.

“I feel I have achieved what I wanted, getting back to the podium.”

South Africa had picked up another silver, courtesy of the 4x400m relay team, earlier in the week, as well as two bronzes through 400m hurdler LJ van Zyl and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen.

Coolboy Ngamole was the best of the SA contingent in the men’s marathon in the morning session on the final day of competition, finishing 46th in a pedestrian time of 2:30.01, more than 22 minutes behind Kenyan Abel Kirui, who defended his title.

Lucky Mohale was 50th, and second last, in 2:38.22, and David Ngakane did not finish the race.

The nation’s 4x100m relay team trailed in fifth place in a tough first-round heat in 38.72.