She might remain banned from competing in her preferred categories by world athletics authorities but Caster Semenya remains one of the forces of the sport in SA.
This was evident on Sunday as she made her way through to the finish at the Spar 10km Women’s Race in Cape Town, which was won by Glenrose Xaba, one of Semenya’s mentees.
Onlookers cheered on as Semenya reached the finish line and celebrated with her usual “cobra” pose. She placed a distant 14th, hardly worth rejoicing over for someone who claimed gold in the glare of pervasive global scrutiny at the world championships in 2009, 2011 and 2017 and the Olympics in 2012 and 2016.
But Semenya deserved to be cheerful after all. Alongside top-placed Xaba, three other athletes under her tutelage made the top 10 in the opening race of the women's Grand Prix.
Incidentally, all three carry the first name “Karabo”, which translates to answer: Karabo Mailula came third, Karabo More was sixth, and Karabo Motsoeneng 10th. After years of wrangling with world athletics bodies over her eligibility in the women’s events, perhaps Semenya has now found the ultimate answer in coaching as she takes a step away from international competition.
“It’s so beautiful to see athletes that I mentor, four of them, in the top 10,” Semenya told the post-race press conference. “This is good for women's development. We want to develop and promote warriors. As a coach, I’m fulfilled.”
The three Karabos are in their early 20s – Mailula is 23, while More and Motsoeneng are 22.
While Semenya, 34, is convinced their future couldn’t be brighter, she cautioned they will have to work hard to attain the world-class level, which she once reached.
“Consistency and hard work are what keep us here... showing up to training even when it’s raining. I think we have kept those values as a group. We have our principles and know what we want to achieve.”
Semenya, meanwhile, believes Prudence Sekgodiso, who recently claimed 800m gold at the world indoor championships in China, has a bright future ahead.
“She has the talent, but she needs to maintain what she started,” Semenya said of Sekgodiso.
“She’s a powerhouse and with focus and being humble, there’s no doubt she’ll achieve more.”
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