Veteran Caster Semenya teams up with protégé Sekgodiso for cross-country champs

Former two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya will team up with protégé Prudence Sekgodiso for the 4x2km relay at the world cross-country championships in Australia on February 18. 

The duo, the only South African women to have broken two minutes over 800m, compete in the mixed gender race alongside the country’s top middle-distance men, Tshepo Tshite and Ryan Mphahlele. 

Semenya is barred from competing at any distance from 400m to a mile without taking medication to lower her naturally occurring high levels of testosterone, a rule she is fighting legally. 

She failed in her attempts to qualify in the 5,000m for the Olympics and 2022 world championships, but 2km is far closer to her preferred distances.  

In total 27 athletes are confirmed for the one-day event at Bathurst, some 200km west of Sydney. 

The men’s team (10km): Precious Mashele, Maxime Chaumeton, Elroy Gelant, Mathews Leeto, Mbuleli Mathanga and Collen Mulaudzi. 

Women (10km): Cian Oldknow, Kyla Jacobs, Kesa Molotsane, Glenrose Xaba, Cacisile Sosibo and Aynslee van Graan. 

Under-20 men (8km): Dino Nako, Musawenkosi Mnisi, Reatlegile Mosweu, Jayde Rosslee, Siyabonga Xowana and Sibusiso Msibi. 

Under-20 women (6km): Naledi Makgatha, Phemelo Matshaba, Omaatla Dikao, Li-Mari Dekker and Wiepke Schoeman. 

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