Rio de Janeiro - The Rio Olympic Games will have to prepare for an impending strike as Caster Semenya takes on the persona of a cobra.
If everything goes according to plan, Semenya could once again be doing her signature celebratory cobra-strike pose on Saturday.
While the world was debating whether she should be competing at the Games even though there was no reason she should not be, South Africans have sent out a clear message - “hands off Caster”.
Semenya is unlikely to field any official questions from the media as she steeled herself for the 800m heats with the hope of qualifying through to the semis and the final.
The South African women’s 800m record-holder has somehow been linked to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) ruling that testing on female athletes taking testosterone suppressants be suspended.
Also read: A praise poem for SA’s golden girl
The CAS made the ruling regarding hyperandrogenism, the presence of high testosterone levels, in July 2015 when Indian sprinter Dutee Chand appealed her suspension from competition.
It ruled the IAAF needed to provide scientific evidence that enhanced testosterone levels translated into improved performances in hyperandrogenic athletes.
At the African Athletics Championships in July, Semenya was steadfast in her reply to a question about her views on the matter.
“I don’t have time for that, I am an athlete, I focus more on the issues that concern me, training and performing,” Semenya said.
“Whatever is happening is not part of me so I cannot comment on those issues.”
Semenya has been defiant amidst the international debate as she went about her business in a record-breaking manner.
She demonstrated she was in the form of her life, breaking her seven-year-old 800m record by 0.12 seconds at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco in mid-July.
Posting a time of one minute, 55.33 seconds (1:55.33), she produced the 12th fastest time in women’s 800m history, and the best since 2008, going into the Games unbeaten in her pet event.
Although she contemplated doing the 400-800m double at the Games, it was decided she should rather focus on the 800m with the hopes of upgrading her silver from London 2012 to a gold medal.
Her greatest challenge would come from Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba, who has been trailing Semenya like a shadow this season.
Niyonsaba clocked a new national record at the same meeting in Monaco where she posted a time of 1:56.24.
The recent campaign by a group of South Africans rallying behind Semenya was sparked by comments made by British marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe in an interview with BBC Radio.
“I fear that when we talk about it in terms of fully expect no other result than Caster Semenya to win that 800m (at the Olympics), then it's no longer sport and it's no longer an open race,” Radcliffe reportedly said.
*Caster Semenya will be in action today in the Heat of the Woman's 800m at 3:55pm (SA time)
IOL