FINLAND: ATHLETICS - Semenya's coach does not expect outstanding results on her imminent return to competition

Record ID: 722320

  • Title: FINLAND: ATHLETICS - Semenya's coach does not expect outstanding results on her imminent return to competition
  • Date: 15th July 2010
  • Summary: LAPPEENRANTA, FINLAND (JULY 14, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) COACH MICHAEL SEME SAYING: "Not strong enough, as (she is) usually because of some other problems. You know there were some who were saying things that you don't like. Sometimes those things remain on your mind. Now she must concentrate on preparing for races"
  • Embargoed: 30th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Finland
  • Country: Finland
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAONGZ23PZWAKV3SE15FO47QAA
  • Story Text: South African world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya's coach says he doesn't expect any outstanding results as she returns to competition after an enforced break due to controversial gender tests -- but he is confident she will grab gold at the Commonwealth Games.
    World 800 metres champion Caster Semenya, returning to competition after an enforced break for controversial gender tests, will be back at her peak in October and will take Commonwealth Games gold, her coach said on Wednesday (July 14).
    Semenya, who was cleared last week to compete as a woman by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), has not run competitively since undergoing tests at the Berlin world championships in August. Her winning time there of 1:55.45 was the fastest of 2009.
    Her coach Michael Seme said that although Semenya was not in very good shape at the moment, she would soon be back at the top.
    "But you know she's not in the shape she was in Berlin, I wonder if you can say that I can count her in the top 10. She is out of the top 10 ranks now according to the fitness as we are talking now but we'll work on that. The only thing that I can promise you is that during the Commonwealth games we'll make sure that everything is back and we'll grab that gold medal," Seme told journalists in the Finnish town of Lappeenranta, where Semenya will return to competition on Thursday.
    If the South African could run one minute 55 or 56 seconds in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi that should be enough to win, Seme added.
    He said they were not expecting a very fast time on Thursday.
    Seme also said the gender controversy had affected Semenya mentally.
    "Not strong enough, as (she is) usually because of some other problems. You know there were some who were saying things that you don't like. Sometimes those things remain on your mind. Now she must concentrate on preparing for races," he said when asked how Semenya was feeling.
    After two competitions in Finland, Semenya will go home to build up her fitness, he said, adding that her team aimed to do things carefully, not in a rush.
    "That we are strong enough to take that programme and I'm sure that we'll be back to that fitness again and sometimes maybe if we reach that fitness, then we'll try the world record. But you must remember that when you come from the top peak you go down first and then so that you can gain more strength to go up again to reach more than the first peak, going for the second one," Seme said.
    Semenya's agent, Jukka Harkonen from Finland, said the South African had received invitations to a dozen competitions and she might return to compete in Europe in August.
    On Monday, Athletics South Africa (ASA) decided to leave Semenya out of the team for this month's African championships, but said they could consider her for the Commonwealth Games.
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