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Caster 'deserves to win gold'

Rio de Janeiro - Team South Africa needs just one more medal to reach 10 in Rio 2016, and that responsibility is likely to fall on the shoulders of Caster Semenya in Saturday night's (Sunday 02:15, SA time) women's 800m final. 

Semenya, the overwhelming favourite to win gold, finds herself at the centre of a debate surrounding testosterone levels in female athletes.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe last week questioned the merits of a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision taken in July 2015 that put a stop to testosterone regulation in female athletes, making Semenya the focus of the debate in Rio.  

But Team South Africa team-mate and Olympic silver medallist Sunette Viljoen voiced her support for Semenya after Thursday's (Friday morning, SA time) javelin final. 

"Overall Team South Africa did brilliantly. The whole team can be very proud ... each and every one," Viljoen said after winning silver at Olympic Stadium.

"Caster will win by far. They don’t have a chance against her.

"I really hope she will win because she deserves it and she’s had a really good season so far.

"It will be a marvelous victory for her to win a gold because she’s been winning all over the world the whole year. She must just go out and do it." 

Lloyd Burnard is Sport24's correspondent in Rio de Janeiro for the duration of the 2016 Olympics ...

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