Caster Semenya won the women’s 1500m race and set a new Commonwealth Games record in another successful day for Team SA. Caster’s gold medal joins a bronze and a silver won by South African athletes today, bringing our country’s medal tally to 21 – placing us at number 5 in the rankings.
WATCH: Caster Semenya broke Zola Budd’s 1500m national record when she won GOLD ?for South Africa ?? in a time of 4:00.71.#CommonwealthGames pic.twitter.com/IzC0xyQTm2
— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) April 10, 2018
Continuing SA’s stellar performance in the pool, Bradley Tandy won a silver medal in the men’s 50m freestyle earlier in the day. The men’s 4x100m medley relay team, which included Tandy, Chad le Clos, Calvin Justus and Cameron van Der Burgh, won a bronze medal and brought SA’s swimming medals up to an impressive 12.
Caster’s win was a triumphant moment as she finally broke Zola Pieterse’s (nee Budd) national record time, which has stood for 34 years. She stayed comfortably in fifth position for most of the race, before making her move in the final 200 metres. She left her two closest chasers behind, despite both of them running personal bests in the race.
CWG2018: Caster Semenya takes gold in the 1500m, breaks Games record https://t.co/WTYIHf6Rbb pic.twitter.com/pOvVp1I7ct
— South African Mag (@southafricanmag) April 10, 2018
It was a close call, but Caster crossed the line in 4 minutes and 0.72 seconds – just 0.09 seconds ahead of Pieterse’s record run in Port Elizabeth in March 1984.
This victory means that Caster is now a double Olympic 800m champion, three time world 800m champion, and now a Commonwealth Games 1500m champion.
Athletics: GOLD!!! @caster800m kicks around the final bend to set a new national 1 500m record! 4:00.71 #TeamMzansi #GC2018Athletics
— TeamSouthAfrica (@TeamSA18) April 10, 2018
Here are the current rankings, from www.gc2018.com:
Picture: Twitter @TeamSA18
