Share

Semenya defiant after sweeping to Commonwealth double

Gold Coast - South Africa's Caster Semenya shrugged off controversy over her right to compete after completing a Commonwealth Games double with victory in the women's 800 metres on Friday.

The 27-year-old, who identifies as a woman but has elevated testosterone levels, dedicated her gold medal to the late Winnie Mandela after her crushing win.

Elsewhere on the Gold Coast, English tabloid darling Tom Daley captured diving gold before weighing in on gay rights, while 15-year-old shooter Anish Bhanwala became India's youngest ever Commonwealth champion.

At the athletics, England's Katarina Johnson-Thompson won heptathlon gold, but New Zealand's Valerie Adams failed to take a fourth straight shot put crown, the mighty Kiwi settling for silver.

Semenya, who won the 1 500m title earlier this week, smashed her rivals once again to clock a Games record of one minute, 56.68 seconds.

After the race, she revealed how anti-apartheid hero Mandela, who died two weeks ago after a long illness, had helped her through adversity.

"She was a friend and always told me to be myself, to love myself - don't listen to the noise, don't entertain nonsense," said Semenya. "To just go out and show the world what I can do."

Semenya left Kenya's Margaret Nyairera Wambui for dead coming off the final bend to win with plenty to spare as Jamaica's Natoya Goule took bronze.

However, questions persist over whether Semenya should be allowed to compete because of her hyperandrogenism, which some feel gives her an unfair advantage.

"I understand how to handle emotions, how to handle negativity and turn it into positivity," said the world champion.

"I've had to learn how to manage it myself, how to face the world. It's not about what other people think of me, it's about how I think of myself."

Johnson-Thompson secured the second leg of what she hopes will be a golden treble.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1777 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1083 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 460 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE