Caster Semenya will make her first appearance in a world championships in five years when she competes in the women’s 5 000m in Eugene. Image: Yann Caradec on Flickr
Caster Semenya lashes out at IAAF after winning in Paris
Caster Semenya vented her frustration with the IAAF during an interview after she won the 2000m race at Meeting de Montreuil in Paris.
Caster Semenya will make her first appearance in a world championships in five years when she competes in the women’s 5 000m in Eugene. Image: Yann Caradec on Flickr
A clearly frustrated Caster Semenya used her time in front of the cameras, after winning the 2000m race at the Meeting de Montreuil in Paris, to throw shade at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Caster Semenya vs IAAF
Semenya was named in South Africa’s 40ish person squad to represent the country at the IAAF World Championship in Qatar in September.
But her participation is still not guaranteed because of a pending case between her and the IAAF.
She challenged a ruling by the world athletics body that said she would need to take testosterone limiting drugs in order to compete in any race between 400m and 1500m
Her challenge was upheld by the Swiss Federal Court and that ruling is now being appealed by the IAAF. If their appeal is upheld, she will not be allowed to run, unless she takes drugs of course.
Taking aim at the IAAF
The 28-year-old finished the 2000m in Paris with a time of 5:38:19, just a few fractions of a second ahead of Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa in second. Adanech Anbesa, also from Ethiopia, finished third, a little over one second behind the pair.
Following her win, she was asked about the IAAF saga by the assembled journalists and she held no punches with her response.
“I can run any event I want, it can be 100m, it can be 200m, it can be long jump, it can be heptathlon, you name it. I’m a talented athlete,” she said in a video posted by eNCA.
“So I’m not worried about anything else even if I have to withdraw from 800m, It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I think I have won everything I have ever wanted.
“I’m not an idiot. Why would I take any drugs? I’m a pure athlete, I don’t cheat. They should focus on doping rather than us.”
