adminJohannesburg — Caster Semenya improved her season’s best by more than two seconds in Lapinlahti, Finland, on Sunday, but again failed to qualify for the IAAF World Championships as she continued her comeback from injury. Semenya won the women’s 800m event at the Savo Games in 2:04.48, in her second race of the year, but was 4.48 seconds outside the qualifying standard for next month’s global spectacle in Moscow. Heather Wilson of the United States finished second in 2:04.79.
Semenya had won her comeback race after a lengthy injury layoff on Wednesday night, but had fallen well short in her attempt to qualify for the World Championships, clocking a pedestrian 2:06.58 at the Lahti Games.
It was her first competitive outing since last year’s London Olympic Games, after recovering from a long-term knee injury.
While she improved significantly in Lapinlahti, the 22-year-old former world champion was left with only eight days to book her place in the South African team before the qualifying deadline closes on 29 July.
Meanwhile, fellow South African Zarck Visser continued his build-up to the Moscow showpiece with a leap of 8,19m to win the men’s long jump at the low-key Lapinlahti meeting. Countryman Khotso Mokoena took second place with a best jump of 8.01m.
National record holder Ruben Ramolefi finished fourth in the men’s 3 000m steeplechase in 8:43.90. — Sapa.
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