Caster Semenya has told Glenrose Xaba to chin up after she suffered a surprise defeat in the opening race of the Spar Women’s 10km Grand Prix in Cape Town on Sunday.
Having led from the start, Xaba’s sensational winning streak was brought to an abrupt end by Tayla Kavanagh, who found strength in the last 100m stretch to win in 31:33 and relegate Xaba (31:88) to second place.
A silver medal is not something Xaba has been accustomed to, having won all five races last year to claim the Grand Prix for the third time, but her coach, Semenya, the former Olympic and world 800m champion, warned her defeat is part of the game.
“I told her after the race that she must accept it,” Semenya said. “There are 20 other elite athletes there, so you can take any position. If not her, who deserved second place? You must live with it because you won’t win all the time.”
Xaba gracefully accepted Kavanagh was better on the day at the post-race press conference, but her reaction in the immediate aftermath of the run drew ire from people who accused her of an unsportsmanlike attitude.
When Kavanagh opened her arms to embrace her, Xaba appeared to push her away. “I’m sorry, I had lost my breath, and I needed time to calm down,” Xaba reasoned when it was put to her that her reaction painted her as a sore loser.
She vowed to come back stronger for the next one. “I led for almost the entire race, and she [Kavanagh] was pushing me. I thought we would pace together, and I’m so happy for her.”
Kavanagh, 24, was chuffed at her first-place finish, having made the podium last year. “We had a good battle out there with Glenrose. I love racing her. I knew I’d do well because I’ve put in great work in the last few weeks,” she said.
In the absence of Ethiopians Tadu Nare and Salem Gebre, who couldn’t make the race due to visa challenges, the podium was an all-SA affair, with Kayla Jacobs claiming third place in 32:16.
