Commonwealth Games: Caster Semenya takes 1500m with ease

Caster Semenya stormed to a record-breaking 1500m victory at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, clocking 4:00.71 to get gold ahead of Beatrice Chepkoech, while Wales’ Melissa Courtney ran the race of her life for bronze.

Waiting until the final lap to make her move, Semenya surged ahead with 200m to go and claimed a dominant win, with Kenya’s Chepkoech running a PB of 4:03.09 to secure her silver and Courtney clocking a PB of 4:03.44 for bronze.

Semenya’s time is a South African record, improving on the 4:01.81 set by Zola Budd in 1984, while it also betters the Games record of 4:04.43 which had been run by Kenya’s Hellen Obiri in 2014.

“I am very happy with how I performed tonight. I’m proud of my efforts,” said the two-time Olympic and three-time world 800m champion, who will now turn her attention to contesting the shorter event in Australia.

“It was a good race, but I always want to improve in every race I have, and learn from my last races.”

Like Semenya, Courtney has plans to double up on the Gold Coast but her the next race will be over 5000m, which she admitted she thought was going to be the stronger of her two events.

Source: AW

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