Yet another SA record for Caster at IAAF meet

Caster Semenya obliterated another national record on Saturday, as the versatile middle-distance athlete took the silver medal for the African team in the 400m Women at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava, in the Czech Republic.

Semenya clocked 49.62sec, storming over the line to set a new national mark, with Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain winning gold for the Asia-Pacific squad in 49.32.

Long jumper Ruswahl Samaai also stepped on the podium for the African team, leaping to gold in his specialist discipline with a best attempt of 8.16m.

Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou grabbed the silver medal for the European team with a jump of 8m.

ASA president Aleck Skhosana said: “We run out of words in describing the incredible season Caster is having.

“She has not let anything distract her from her goals and has been tearing one national record after another – that’s got to be applauded and celebrated.”

Meanwhile, South Africa earned three medals at the IAU 100km World Championships on Saturday, with both the men’s and women’s teams securing podium places at the biennial showpiece in Sveti, Croatia.

Three-time Comrades Marathon winner Bongmusa Mthembu led the onslaught, bagging an individual bronze medal in the men’s race.

Mthembu, who led the race with a little more than 10km remaining, held on in the latter stages to complete the event in 6:33:47.

Japan’s Hideaki Yamauchi bagged the gold medal in 6:28:05.

With Thuso Mosiea finishing 14th and Best Ngwenya 16th, the SA men also took silver in the team contest.

After pacing herself well in the women’s race, Salome Cooper spearheaded the charge for the South Africans, crossing the line in seventh place in 7:51:13.

Though she was well behind Nikolina Sustic, who won the title for host nation Croatia in 7:20:34, Cooper carried the SA team to another silver medal, with Fikile Mbuthuma taking 14th place and Lisa Collett 19th.

ASA’s James Moloi said: “That’s excellent for our team of men and women to finish second in the team contest.

“Mthembu deserves the biggest applause for getting on the podium for the second time as an individual by winning bronze medal.

“We congratulate both our teams for hard work and honouring their mandate.”