Read about our approach to external linking. By signing up you are agreeing to our, Women Are Naturally Fitter Than Men, Study Says. "They love and support me and I will always do them proud, I will always put them first. “Why can’t I do that?” Semenya says. You’d better get used to it. “You should be careful on that.”. She is also noticeably slimmer than the athlete we remember. The main focus now is the World Student Games. I do well. South Africa's Caster Semenya races for the line in a Women's 800 meter semifinal during the World Athletics Championships in London, in 2017. Athletes based in Potchefstroom won 17 Olympic medals at London 2012. But then if I like trousers, I’m going to wear trousers. For the past two years, Semenya's career has stalled. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Caster Semenya Won’t Stop Fighting for Her Right to Run, Just as She Is. With all her gold medals, Semenya could easily abandon this legal fight and walk away from her sport with her place in the record books. Caster Semenya has made a last-minute decision to compete in the Diamond League on Friday, which will be the last time she can run the 800m without taking hormone-suppressing medication. (When I mention this to her, she tosses aside public office and preaching. Caster Semenya and Violet's first encounter was quite hilarious and during an interview she had this to share; "We met in a restroom in 2007. So Semenya ran the Prefontaine race without having to suppress her hormones, and she can compete at the world championships that begin on Sept. 27 in Doha, Qatar. "It was for the best, to rest the body and the mind. But if she can stay injury free, she will take some stopping in Rio. Caster Semenya is back. If you are educated, nothing can defeat you.". "I like the chemistry, the combination is good. For Semenya, though, it marks a new beginning. Then she says she would consider the marathon. I grew up with boys, I grew up around boys, I cannot change it. International Association of Athletics Federations. Semenya's personal best of one minute 55.45 seconds, run in winning that infamous 2009 world title, remains the high watermark in her career. It is a mark that is firmly in Semenya's sights with the Rio Olympics a year away. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know now on politics, health and more, © 2020 TIME USA, LLC. And does she think the public perception tallies with that description? It is difficult to link the engaging 24-year-old who has granted the BBC a rare interview with the haunted athlete whose gender was questioned in front of the world. We're not going to worry too much about the World Championships. She is so nice, so friendly with everybody, always a smile. “When you’re great,” Semenya tells TIME while enjoying the adoration, “you’re great.”. He describes her as a dedicated athlete, one who is never late for training sessions, one who mentors the youngest and inspires the veterans. A place of privacy and hope for what lies ahead. An absent coach, in the shape of the great Maria Mutola - a childhood hero - was another. 5 of 10 FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2018, file photo, Caster Semenya, the current 800-meter Olympic gold and world champion from South Africa, speaks during an interview in New York. She is wonderful," said Semenya. Semenya, who has faced scrutiny surrounding her gender for a decade and would be ineligible to run the women’s 800 m naturally under these new rules, challenged them in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which settles global sports disputes. Or maybe that’s not a joke. And the group here is great. Britain's double world and Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu joined the group last winter. “I want to break records and then be the greatest of all time,” Semenya says. Then there’s the larger battle for her rights, and the rights of others to run free. “I’m here to stay. The subject of the world recordexternal-link - which stands at 1:53.28, run by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983 - also comes up a number of times. In August 2017, Semenya won gold in the 800 metres and bronze in the 1,500 metres at the World Championships in London in August. I don't want any changes.". Vote Now, Biden Faces the Politics of Debt Forgiveness, You can unsubscribe at any time. “I’m not a man; I’m not going to live like a man. “He must have balls to come tell me that, ‘Look, Caster, I don’t want you,'” says Semenya. This is Semenya as the world has rarely seen her before - an idol to millions of young South Africans. A quiet university townexternal-link an hour and a half from Johannesburg, Potchefstroom has rarely been described as paradise, even by its most partisan resident. A landmark ruling concerning one of the most contested issues in sport -- gender identity -- has sent shockwaves through track and field in setting out new parameters for female athletes. Her case has stirred passions around the world, as it touches on essential questions about genetics, gender identity and fair play. I know I have to do something that will better my life. Semenya was born in Ga-Masehlong, a small village in South Africa. What is clear, however, is Semenya is no longer running from her past. And what I dream of is to become Olympic champion, world champion, world record holder - I can't stop running because of people. "There is nothing much to do here - eat, train, sleep, study," she says with a smile. She is, quite visibly, an athlete at peace with a new coach, a new training group and a new hairstyle. that descended on an athlete who just wanted to run. The effort is obvious, as is the focus. “Then I will tell you, that’s your problem.” (In a statement, the IAAF writes that Coe and the organization “feel very strongly” about preserving fair competition for female runners. Or walk away.”. 800m runner Jenny Meadows joined the group as did former world and Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu. If the global governing body for track and field had its way, however, the scene at Stanford would be a mirage. But now I want to focus more on the future, I don't want to go back there. “You’re a free soul,” she says. 55.70 sec., the fastest 800-m time ever clocked on American soil. "How can you be scared? The university town is a hotbed of sporting talent. media caption Caster Semenya: The full interview … I am looking forward to the future, I think we will go far.".

caster semenya interview

It's A 10 Miracle Leave-in Review, The Lark Ascending Lyrics, Maytag Washer Diagnostic Mode, American Beech Habitat, Oyster Toadfish Bite, Which Version Of Windows 10 Is Fastest, 32073 Zip Code, Allstate Home Insurance Quote, Pediatric Cardiologist Lifestyle, Gibson Les Paul Double Cut,
caster semenya interview 2020