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Cape Town - Team South Africa’s head coach Frank Dick has warned South African athlete Caster Semenya on her preparations for the upcoming Rio Olympic Games.
Semenya is set to take part in the African Championships later this month and the Monaco Diamond League on July 15, and will feature in three different racing events.
In the African Championships, she will take part in the 400m and 800m, and race the 1 500m in Monaco.
At the South African National Championships this year, Semenya became the first athlete to win all three of the 400m, 800m and 1 500m.
Dick, who is a SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee member, is cautious about Semenya’s attempt to pursue more track events prior to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The former head coach of the British track and field team is uncertain about the workload the star South African athlete needs to face, as she would have six races in eight days later this month at the African Championships in Durban.
Dick told Times Live:“With these three back-to-back races there would have to be a serious view of recovery strategies... You've got sleep strategies as part of your recovery strategies.”
He also illustrated that the 800m race (Semenya's primary focus) occurs after the 400m and 1500m, and worries that she may be fatigued or worse pick up an injury before the Olympics, which starts in August.
Semenya won the silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games for the 800m.
