Caster Semenya After a Year of Silence Plans to Break Women's 800m World Record

The 2012 Olympic 800 silver medallist Caster Semenya says she is getting ready to break the women's 800m world record.

The world record that stands at 1:53.28 belongs to Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova which she set more than 30 years ago and is one of the oldest track and field records out there.

 “My coach said I have to focus more on winning and breaking the world record soon, but I have to go through training first,”  Semenya told Media on Tuesday.

This year Semenya came out to compete in Finland only in July hoping to qualify for world champs, but  failed to qualify in both attempts. She opened up the season with a slow 2:06.58 in Lahti games and in the second try she clocked 2:04.48 at the Savo Games. The world championships standard was 2:01.50.

Two months later in Rieti at the IAAF World Challenge meeting she showed that she was back in form by winning the 800m race in 1:58.92. “I am very happy with what I've done in training over the last two months and going under two minutes shows I have a talent. I just need to maintain it,” she said.

Semenya's personal best time in 800m is 1:55.45 and is 2.17 seconds slower than the current world record.

Article Source: http://www.sport24.co.za