Olympics: Semenya Zooms To 800m S/Final

Controversial South African runner Caster Semenya has qualified for the semi final of the women’s 800m of London 2012 Olympic Games.

Semenya, whose career suffered a setback due to gender controversy for about three years, finished second behind American Alysia Johnson Montano in a time of 2:00.71.

Montano ended the race in a time of 2:00.44, while Halima Hachlaf of Morocco took the final qualification spot, finishing third in 2:00.99.

Semenya will now compete in the 800m semifinal on Thursday at 8.30pm ahead of Saturday’s final, where she will need to vastly improve on her qualification time in the heats.

She faces stiff competition heading into the semi final. Favourite Pamela Jelimo from Kenya has on five separate occasions beaten Semenya’s best time of the season, 1:59.18.

It’s been nearly three years since her astonishing victory in the 2009 Berlin World Championships, which turned from a dream win into a nightmare,

as she was forced to undergo series of drug and gender tests after that victory and subsequent performances were questioned by officials, athletes and an often unsympathetic public.