Olympian Caster Semenya was a major attraction at Sunday’s thrilling SPAR Grand Prix series in Cape Town, and she proved her worth by demonstrating her continued potential in the world of athletics.
Semenya finished the 10km race in a credible 12th place in 35min:44sec.
“I was there in Cape Town to give my team support and decided to race as well. I am a big fan of the SPAR Grand Prix series,” Semenya said.
“Firstly, it’s a women’s-only series, which we women love, and secondly, the series has contributed so much to the promotion and development of women’s road running in all age groups in the country.
“My charges, Glenrose Xaba, Karabo More, and Karabo Mailula, all must give credit to the SPAR Grand Prix series for their success.”
In the main race, Tayla Kavanagh delivered a stunning performance, earning her first victory in a SPAR Grand Prix race at the opening leg of this year’s 10km women’s road running series in Cape Town.
Kavanagh, representing Hollywood Athletics Club, held on to the back of defending series champion Xaba of Boxer Athletics Club for most of the race before launching a furious kick in the closing stages to snatch the win.
In dramatic scenes at the finish line, Xaba was visibly unhappy as she snubbed Kavanagh’s attempt to hug her. She later apologised profusely at the press conference for her unsportsmanlike demeanor.
Fierce battle
The 24-year-old Kavanagh completed the contest in 31:33, chopping eight seconds off her personal best (31:41) set in Cape Town in October last year. She was just 21 seconds outside the national 10km record (31:12) held by Xaba.
“We had a fierce battle out there. The race went well, and I’m pleased to walk away with a personal best today,” Kavanagh said.
“It was a challenging, honest race between me and Glenrose. I love racing against her, and we put in a good, hard effort out there today, so all around it was a great race.
“I’ve put in significant effort in training, so I’m really proud of myself and the team around me, and I’m very blessed and grateful to walk away with the win.”
Xaba admitted she had hoped Kavanagh would help push the pace, with the eventual winner opting to sit back before putting in a surge in the chase for the line.
She was pleased with the result, however, with both Kavanagh and Xaba going well under 32 minutes.
“I thought Tayla would come on board and we could help each other along the way, but she didn’t take the lead, so I tried my best to push the pace,” Xaba said.
“If she pushed the pace with me, I think we were going to run even better times, but I’m thrilled with the result, and it shows the standard in South Africa is improving. Well done to Tayla. She did so well, and I’m proud of her.”
