Semenya faces stiffer challenge in Lapinlahti
Having wet her feet with an easy win in her first race in 11
months on Thursday, world 800m champion Caster Semenya will face a
sterner test when she lines up at the Savo Games in Lapinlahti,
Finland, on Sunday.
Semenya, cleared to run against women last week by the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) after a
probe into her gender that kept her off the track for almost a
year, coasted to victory in Lappanreenta in her first race back in
2:04.22.
The field in Lapinlahti, however, is considerably stronger and
the 19-year-old South African faces three women who have run faster
than her this season.
Semenya's coach, Michael Seme, had predicted a 2:04 performance
in her first race and will be pleased with his charge's effort last
week with little speed work under her belt.
And having clocked 1:55.45 to win the world title last August,
Semenya won't need to be anywhere near her best on Sunday, but will
likely need to turn out a faster performance than she did earlier
in the week.
The stiffest challenge is likely to come from 22-year-old
Russian Anna Verkhovskaya, a former 400m specialist, who clocked
2:02.95 in Bochum, Germany, last month.
Christiane dos Santos of Brazil, who was fourth at the 2003
World Student Games in Daegu, South Korea, will also look to spring
a surprise on the global champion in an effort to improve on her
2:04.08 season's best.
Finland will also be well represented by Karin Storbacka, who
has already set a 2:02.99 career record this year, and Suvi
Selvenius who boasts a 2:02.15 lifetime best.