London, Aug 23 (IANS) Amidst pullout of some high-profile athletes, there was finally some good news for the Delhi Commonwealth Games organisers Monday as South African world champion middle distance runner Caster Semenya confirmed her participation for the Oct 3-14 Games.
‘I’m on the list and they just have to announce the team,’ the 19-year-old, who won the 800 metres gold in the World Championship, was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.
The South African missed the gender test last year after winning her World Championship gold and has made a successful comeback after an 11-month absence following the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) decision to allow her to return.
Semenya says that in India she could reach the timing of 1 min 55.45 sec she ran to claim her world title.
‘I can’t estimate the time. It’s possible, but it just depends on the body. It all depends on my coach and how he trains me. I’m quite happy with my performance. I wasn’t expecting to run fast like that. My coach was expecting under two minutes so it was pretty good. I just have to do some more training so I can run faster,’ she said.
Semenya said she was delighted to return to the scene of her triumph, insisting she only had ‘good memories’ of the German capital, Berlin.
‘It feels good to be back in Berlin. I did not think about everything that happened after my gold medal. I just concentrated on my race and my time. When I won the race, it brought back memories of the 2009 final for me,’ she said.
