Athletics
'Tired' Semenya returns home
2010-09-10 17:44
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Johannesburg - A"tired" Caster Semenya will return home to focus on her preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India next month after bouncing back to form to set a season’s best with her fourth 800m victory of the season in Milan, Italy on Thursday night.
Semenya competed in six two-lap races after a belated start to her European campaign, having been cleared by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to compete against women in July, and apart from a major stumble in Rovereto two weeks ago, her comeback has been marked with success.
The 19-year-old told the IAAF website she would return to South Africa after a tiring campaign and would only race again in her first round heat of the Commonwealth showpiece which starts on October 3.
"I felt very tired in Rovereto. I wanted to run 1:58 today (in Milan)," Semenya said.
"I am now going home to prepare for the Commonwealth Games. This is my big goal of the season."
Having won two low-key meetings in Finland, shortly after returning from an 11-month hiatus, Semenya dipped under two minutes for the first time in Berlin last month to bag her third straight win. And she again improved her season’s best when she finished third at her maiden Diamond League meeting in Brussels on August 27.
Four days later, however, the world champion finished ninth in a magnificently disappointing 2:07.16 in Robereto, citing fatigue for her poor showing.
But she bounced back to form in Milan, defeating Continental Cup champion Hind Dehiba of France by more than half a second to set a 1:58.16 meeting record.