World 800m champion Caster Semenya should still be able to compete at the African Athletics Championships in Nairobi at the end of the month, despite failing a fitness test on Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson for Athletics South Africa (ASA) said on Tuesday that Semenya would need to pass a fitness test to make the team for the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, between July 19 and 25.
Her coach Michael Seme, however, said on Wednesday his charge would focus on the five-day continental championships starting on July 28, which gave her more time to prepare, as she was not yet ready to race.
Semenya subsequently failed the fitness test with two 600m time trials.
Even if Semenya is not included in the team expected to be named by ASA on Thursday, she is likely to compete in Nairobi as a late entry.
ASA assistant administrator Richard Stander told the MWP agency that Semenya would not need to achieve the qualifying standard as she would be given a wild card entry by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) because the continental championships fall within 18 months of the 19-year-old clinching the world title in August last year.
Stander said Semenya had “always been in our plans” and there was a good chance she could still compete in Nairobi, provided she can prove her fitness to the selectors.
Seme said he had been told the 19-year-old, who was given the green light to compete against women on Tuesday, needed to run a 600m time trial in one minute, 32 seconds on Wednesday, but she fell a few seconds short during two attempts.
“She ran 1:38 and she had a five-minute break, then she ran 1:35,” Seme said.
“But they said she can try and prove her fitness before the African Championships, so she will run one or two meetings in Europe and we will take it from there.”
Seme said he had not expected his charge to be race ready or set qualifying times at this stage, but was confident she would do so within the next couple of weeks.
“We are not angry that she hasn’t been chosen for the team yet because we will respect any decisions made by the national federation,” Seme said.
“Caster has only been jogging in training and you can’t expect her to be ready to race so soon after 11 months off.
“She needs to work on her speed and we need to make sure she is mentally ready, but I’m happy with the times she ran today.”
Semenya last raced at the World Championships in Berlin last August when she secured a stunning victory in 1:55.45, improving her own South African record just days after it was leaked that the IAAF had ordered gender tests on her.
The IAAF said on Tuesday it had “accepted the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect”. –Sapa