Caster Semenya Is Gold, And South African Athletes Have The World's Attention

She ran her personal best with 1:55:16 in the 800m.
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Photo: REUTERS/John Sibley
John Sibley / Reuters

Caster Semenya made history once again on Sunday when she scooped the gold medal in the 800m of the IAAF Championship in London. She defended her title and ran her lifetime best with a time of 1:55:16s. She won her second medal in the Championship and claimed her first gold as she reigned supreme.

Semenya is raising the bar and solidifying her place as the best female 800m runner. She might have made personal history with her best time in Sunday's race but it is the bigger picture that excites Athletics South Africa. ASA has come out of the wildness and has demanded the worlds attention.

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Athletics - World Athletics Championships - Women's 800 Metres Heats - London Stadium, London, Britain ? August 10, 2017. Caster Semenya of South Africa in action. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Phil Noble / Reuters

Athletics in the country is alive and that's a fact, it has reached a phase where continental domination is on the horizon. After the youth team topped the medals chart in the U/18 IAAF World Youth Championship in Kenya, South Africa is also among the top three in the medals chart in London.

South Africa has three gold, one silver and 2 bronze and is ranked third on the overall charts behind the United States and Kenya. Wayde Van Niekerk is on the road to becoming South Africa's greatest sporting star with his rise which dates back to the 2016 Olympics, while Akani Simbane is working hard to be the best in the 100m and 200m. One can say the future looks bright for ASA.

South Africans on social media were jubilated with Semenya's victory and the country is slowly believing that athletics in the country could be on the verge of world domination.