(L-R) Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya, Jennifer Meadows of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Caster Semenya of South Africa and Yuliya Krevsun of Ukraine compete in the women's 800 Metres Final in Berlin (© Getty Images)
Capping a sensational rise, Caster Semenya captured the 800m world title, the first ever for South Africa in the middle distances.
The 18-year-old, who has led the world since her 1:56.72 breakout performance at the African Junior championships last month, dominated the field to reach the line unchallenged in 1:55.45, naturally, another world leader.
The determined teenager took control before reaching the bell (56.83), and kept padding her lead to reach the line unchallenged. But behind her, the battle for the remaining two medals was fierce.
Kenya’s defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei, who was near the front in the early going, found her self boxed in over the second half and couldn’t conclusively break free until reaching the home straight, where Ukraine’s Yuliya Krevsun was guarding the silver medal position. But as the Ukrainian began to fad just slightly, Jepkosgei, the Olympic silver medallist, began her furious burst for the line, as did Briton Jennifer Meadows. The trio slugged it out over the waning metres with the Kenyan prevailing by the slightest of margins in a season’s best 1:57.90, with Meadows taking the silver in 1:57.93, a career best for the 28-year-old.
Krevsun was next with a season’s best 1:58.00 for fourth, with new Russian No 1 Mariya Savinova (1:58.68) fifth. Italian Elisa Cusma (1:58.81) and Spaniard Mayte Martinez (1:58.81) clocked season’s best, finishing sixth and seventh.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
The 18-year-old, who has led the world since her 1:56.72 breakout performance at the African Junior championships last month, dominated the field to reach the line unchallenged in 1:55.45, naturally, another world leader.
The determined teenager took control before reaching the bell (56.83), and kept padding her lead to reach the line unchallenged. But behind her, the battle for the remaining two medals was fierce.
Kenya’s defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei, who was near the front in the early going, found her self boxed in over the second half and couldn’t conclusively break free until reaching the home straight, where Ukraine’s Yuliya Krevsun was guarding the silver medal position. But as the Ukrainian began to fad just slightly, Jepkosgei, the Olympic silver medallist, began her furious burst for the line, as did Briton Jennifer Meadows. The trio slugged it out over the waning metres with the Kenyan prevailing by the slightest of margins in a season’s best 1:57.90, with Meadows taking the silver in 1:57.93, a career best for the 28-year-old.
Krevsun was next with a season’s best 1:58.00 for fourth, with new Russian No 1 Mariya Savinova (1:58.68) fifth. Italian Elisa Cusma (1:58.81) and Spaniard Mayte Martinez (1:58.81) clocked season’s best, finishing sixth and seventh.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
