Athletics: Semenya wins 5000m gold at South African Championships

        GERMISTON, South Africa (Reuters) – Caster Semenya won the 5000m at the South African Athletics Championships on Thursday, a potential new distance as she awaits a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on appeal. The rules are trying to limit her testosterone levels.
       Semenya seemed to be in complete control when he won in 16:05.97 on the opening day, which was an important test for South Africa’s participation in the World Championships in Doha in September.
       Semenya achieved a rare finish in the long distance race after having previously reached Friday’s 1500m final with a time of 4:30.65, well below her personal best.
       Although she hardly broke a sweat, her 1500m time was 9 seconds faster than the next fastest in qualifying.
       Her main event, the 800 meters, will take place on Friday morning and the final on Saturday evening.
       Semenya is awaiting the outcome of her appeal to CAS to stop imposing new International Athletics Federation (IAAF) rules requiring her to take medication to limit her natural testosterone levels.
       The IAAF wants female athletes with developmental differences to lower their blood testosterone levels to below the prescribed concentration six months before competition to prevent any unfair advantage.
       But this is limited to competitions between 400m and mile so does not include 5000m so Semenya can compete freely.
       Her time on Thursday was 45 seconds off her 2019 best, but Semenya appeared to be holding back ahead of her familiar last 200m sprint.
       Meanwhile, Olympic 400m champion and world record holder Weide van Niekerk withdrew from Thursday’s warm-up, citing a slippery slope as he attempted to return to high-level competition after 18 months.
       ”Sad to announce that I am withdrawing from the South African Senior Championships in Athletics,” van Niekerk tweeted.
       “Looking forward to playing at home again after a good preparation, but the weather wasn’t right so we didn’t want to risk it.
       Van Niekerk missed the entire 2018 season with a knee injury during a charity football game in October 2017.