South Africa: Semenya advances to women's 800m final
Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 10 Aug 2012
Title: Semenya advances to women's 800m final
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Pretoria - South African middle distance runner and world champion, Caster Semenya, has qualified for the Olympics women's 800m final scheduled for Saturday night.
Semenya finished the semi-final heat in 1min 57.673sec, beating her arch rivals Kenya's Janeth Kepkosgei Busienei and the American Alysia Johnson.
In the men's 200m final, South Africa's young runner Anaso Jobodwana's hopes for a gold medal were dashed by the world's greatest sprinter, Usain Bolt and his countryman Yohan Blake.
Jobodwana was completely left behind and he crossed the finishing line in 20.69, a drop from his personal best time of 20.27 he had set in the semi-finals when he finished second after Bolt.
Meanwhile, the men's 4x400-metre track relay team has been reinstated into the final of the event.
The heats of the event were contested on Thursday morning and after the first leg, South African runner Ofentse Mogawane fell to the ground coming into the home straight after a collision with a Kenyan runner during the second of four legs.
Mogawane was unable to hand over the baton to third-leg runner Oscar Pistorius and the team failed to complete the race. The Kenyan team first appealed to the Jury of Appeal for a ruling on the matter.
Team South Africa themselves then lodged an appeal, giving their reasons as follows: that there was obstruction of the SA athlete and impeding his process (rule 163.2 IAAF); that there was obstruction by the Kenyan athlete.
Following a review, the Jury of Appeal accepted the appeal and agreed that the SA relay team shall advance to the final as the ninth team.
As a result, this evening, Shaun de Jager, LJ van Zyl, who is replacing Mogawane, Oscar Pistorius and Willie de Beer will compete in the men's 4x400m relay final.
Troyden Prinsloo will represent the country at the men's 10km Marathon at 1pm. - SAnews.gov.za
Reported by: South African Government News Service
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