Caster Semenya seals 800m title and turns focus to world record bid

South Africa’s Semenya, who won bronze in the unfamiliar 1,500m on Monday, looked much more at home in her preferred event.

Niyonsaba led the field round at a sharp pace, hitting the bell at 57.98 seconds, with Wilson, who set a U.S. record this year, hot on her heels. Semenya, however, maintained her languid stride a few metres back before closing the gap, easing past both on the final bend and running clear.

Semenya, 26, is the 2016 Olympic and 2009 world champion and is poised to gain two more golds after Russian doper Mariya Savinova-Farnosova was stripped of her 2012 Olympic and 2011 world titles.

“I just love you guys, it feels like home in London,” said Semenya.

And she was asked if she was thinking of an assault on the world record of 1:53.28 set by Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983 – the longest-standing track world record in the book.

Wilson said she had not expected a medal despite running into her best form at just the right time.

“I was trying to focus on my own race, I tried to speed it up for the last 100 metres not matter if I came up short,” she said. “I pushed it 100 percent and I’m super-happy. The crowd was super-awesome and super-special tonight. It was electrifying.”