Semenya secures 800m qualification

OLYMPICS: Former world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya qualified for the London Olympics last night when she eased to victory in one minute 59.58 seconds at a meeting in Pretoria.

Semenya, 21, underwent gender tests at the 2009 Berlin world championships where she won the 800 gold medal. She did not compete for almost a year until the International Association of Athletics Federations cleared her to run again after accepting the conclusions of an expert medical panel. The South African Olympic committee requires athletes to meet the qualifying time twice. Semenya reached her first qualifying mark when she finished second in last year’s world championships. “It’s a weight off my shoulders and I’m very happy with my time,” she said.