Caster Semenya competing at the national championships in Stellenbosch in April (photo credit: Roger Sedres/Image SA)
Producing the race of her life, Caster Semenya broke her own national record on Friday evening, charging to victory in the women’s 800m race in 1:55.33 at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
Her performance clipped 0.12 off her seven-year-old SA best, which she had set when she won gold at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
Semenya earned a convincing win to remain unbeaten over two laps this season, with Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi taking second place in 1:56.24.
Wayde van Niekerk also secured victory in Monaco, clocking 44.12 to win the men’s 400m race.
He crossed the line 0.01 outside his season’s best set in Bloemfontein two months ago, with Machel Cedenio of Trinidad and Tobago securing second place in 44.34.
In other disciplines, with a full-strength SA contingent competing at the Diamond League meeting, Carina Horn did well to grab third spot in the women’s 100m dash in 11.14.
After getting off to a great start in lane eight, the African Championships silver medallist missed the national record she shares with Evette de Klerk by 0.08.
Ruswahl Samaai, who produced a best leap of 7.93m in the men’s long jump, and Wenda Nel, who clocked 54.93 in the women’s 400m hurdles, both settled for fourth place in their respective events, while Sunette Viljoen (60.17m) ended fifth in the women’s javelin throw after missing the midway cut.
Antonio Alkana finished seventh in the men’s 110m hurdles contest in 13.66 and Diamond League debutant Dominique Scott took eighth place in the women’s 3 000m in a personal best 8:46.65, climbing to fifth spot in the all-time SA rankings.