As Caster Semenya moves from competing to full-time coaching, it has given the double Olympic 800m champion an opportunity to appreciate the remarkable running talent currently dominating the streets of South Africa.
Although Semenya has maintained her physical fitness, she was effectively barred from competing by World Athletics (WA) in 2019. At that time, WA introduced new regulations that mandated Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) athletes, such as Semenya, to undergo testosterone-lowering medication to be eligible for competition.
The regulations were enforced in events from 400m to 1600m, which meant Semenya could not compete in the events she was best suited for.
While her legal battles are ongoing and will likely take several years to bring about any changes to the rules, the triple World Champion has shifted her focus to mentoring and watching new talent.
Gerda Steyn: Conquering the Two Oceans Marathon
The 34-year-old paid special tribute to Gerda Steyn who won her sixth Two Oceans Marathon title in a row earlier this month.
“That's one class of its own. She has mastered the Comrades and the Two Oceans. She knows what to do, when to peak. What I love about her is that she doesn't limit herself. She will still do 10 km and then 21 km to keep her speed up. I'm quite impressed and I'm looking forward to seeing the next four years,” Semenya told SportsBoom.co.za.
Prudence Sekgodiso: South Africa's Rising Star in 800m Athletics
As Semenya’s competitive days came to an abrupt end five years ago as she justifiably refused to adhere to WA’s new regulations, it was generally believed that it could be decades before South Africa produced another 800m runner of the same class.
In stepped Prudence Sekgodiso. The 23-year-old already has a personal best time of 1 minute 57.26 seconds (1:57.26), which is just three seconds off Semenya’s Personal Best (PB) and SA record of 1:54.25.
Given her age, there’s every chance that Sekgodiso could go on to challenge for the National Record (NR). In fact, she already has the indoor NR of 1:58.40, which she ran at the World Indoor Championships in March to become SA’s first-ever women’s medalist at the event with her gold medal.
“Prudence is a great athlete. She's doing well. My advice would be to be consistent with what she's doing. Whatever she's doing with the coach, it's beautifully done."
“If she stays humble and then she's focused, she can be a good contender for a medal. I'm looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish after winning the World Indoor Medal, particularly gold. It's very beautifully done."
“I'm excited to see what she can produce in the next World Champs.”
Glenrose Xaba's Record-Breaking Achievements
As a coach, Semenya has already had considerable success through her star athlete, Glenrose Xaba.
Just last year, Xaba set a NR in the 10km on the road with a time of 31:12 in July and then just a couple of months later set another SA record in the marathon with a time of 2:22:22, bettering the previous mark held by Steyn.
“The relationship with Glenrose is more of a sisterly love than a coach and an athlete. But she's an amazing athlete, hard-working. I'll say she's my replicant in terms of work ethics. She never misses a [training] session. She's a go-getter, she's very hungry, and she's been doing well since she joined us. We've smashed multiple records. We're looking forward to the next four years to see where we end up. But the relationship is beautiful,” Semenya said.
“I think the most important part about athletics is to be consistent, make sure that she understands her body."
“That's what we've tried to instil in her for the last three years. Now at least she's getting it. She's starting to understand how her body operates. She knows when to rest, when to push."
“This year, of course, we have the World Half as the main focus, and then we'll see after that.”