CASTER SEMENYA

Caster Semenya's career has always been dogged by controversy.

Last night's 800 metre final raised some questions as to her tactical nous when she found herself shuffled back to last in the pack before turning on the afterburners to earn the silver medal in a race where, for long periods, she looked unlikely to make the podium.

I found it all of unkind, inappropriate and churlish to then hear the TV commentator describe her as 'lumbering' into second place. With the greatest of respect to this one-eyed pom - nobody 'lumbers' from last to second in an Olympic final in the space of about 250m.

Shame on you, sir!

You may say shame on the commentator but what about all those people who have questioned her gender and who have and still make crude jokes about her. Shame on them and shame on those on this forum who have jumped on the band wagon and have also insulted her. What she had achieved in her short life not one person on this forum will ever do and thats be an outstanding Olympian as she has proven herself to be. So those who have written crap about her on this forum be a man and apologise.

C&C

Thank you and well said.

Not the time to name "names".
Remember members, you and I also have children or will have children in the future.
You can never be certain as to what God might gift you and I with.

Do the right thing. She has done our country proud.

@ magi

She certainly surprised you boet.

She will be the new world champion soon and get gold in the next olympics. Viva South Africa, Viva

Must say that after watching the race I had more questions than answers. She was so far back and not trying too hard until the last 60 meters or so.

All I can think of is that Maria Mutola (her coach) wanted her to learn how to run from the back , saving energy and then run on strongly!

I'm proud that she ran 2nd, it was just a strange race is all

Did you not think that she seemed to not want to win? It was strange but that was my thought when I watched and my partner only saw it for the first time today and without me saying anything, she made exactly the same observation. It was as though she wanted to say she could do it but didn't want all the cr*p that would go with it if she won. If it was just very poor tactics then it was the worst tactically judged run I can remember seeing, not withstanding that if you are good enough to get second in an Olympics it is never anything but great.

agra Wrote:

---

> C&C
>
> Thank you and well said.
>
> Not the time to name "names".
> Remember members, you and I also have children or
> will have children in the future.
> You can never be certain as to what God might gift
> you and I with.
>
> Do the right thing. She has done our country
> proud.
>
> @ magi
>
> She certainly surprised you boet.


Im going to name names...That davetheflower took the piss last week,he said Semenya could win mens 800metres..
Garrick,im a two eyed pom and i still think she looks like and runs like a man..Never heard her speak,so cant
comment on her vocal range. How many eastern european and russian athletes retired in the late 60s when
gender testing was introduced. Answer is plenty...The results of her(semenya) gender test have never been released for
privacy reasons,that is a fact..

Get a book and research the X and Y chromosomes,she could be a man and a woman in one,overloaded with hormones.

I think she just ran a shocking tactical race. Why she did not just sit midfield instead of dropping out to last only her and Maria M will know. Maybe they will explain their thinking sometime.Besides that it was a great run to come from last to run 2nd.

I think the pace was a little bit fast and I think she did not paid notice to the Russians and they skipped clear at the right moment, it is like horse racing they opened up and make a break, we all know that she was the better one in the race but ther tactics caught her out.

I am wondering why she is not contemplating the 1500m I think she will be unbeatable, with her finishing speed she can take it easy over the first part of the race and kill them in the last 300m

She actually had a hidden agenda....remember what happenned when she won the World Championships ??? On her return to OR Tambo she was greeted and feted by no other than Juju The Breitling Boy !
Maybe as she ran the race the other night she thought to herself " if I win I might be greeted and hugged by that fat moron again, shit, goodbye gold medal "................
()()()()()

After the race, track and field aficionados questioned her tactics. The BBC’s David Ornstein said it appeared that Semenya “had more left in the tank.” His story quoted BBC commentator Kelly Holmes, who won this event in the 2004 Olympics, suggesting that Semenya hadn’t made her best effort: “She looked very strong, she didn't look like she went up a gear, she wasn't grimacing at all. I don't know if her head was in it, when she crossed the line she didn't look affected." Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden tweeted that Semenya “seemed oddly disengaged most of race and not tired at end.”

In her post-race interview, Semenya said, “The body was not really on fire today.” But the spring in her step at the end of the race—Layden said she “seemed aerobically relaxed two steps past finish line”—led others to speculate that she had pulled a badminton move and tanked the race. Why would someone intentionally perform below their standard in the biggest race in four years? One South African track and field observer suggested that it might be “scandal avoidance”—her 2009 triumph brought such unpleasant consequences that she’d just as soon avoid further scrutiny, and an Olympic silver medal brings considerably less attention than the gold.