Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya is entered in both the 800m and 1500m at August’s world championships, her nation’s track federation said Tuesday.
Semenya has never raced multiple events at an Olympics or worlds. The South African said three weeks before the Rio Olympics that she believed she would race both the 400m and 800m in Rio but ended up only contesting the 800m (and winning convincingly).
Semenya, undefeated at 800m since September 2015, could try to become the first woman since Russian Svetlana Masterkova in 1999 to earn medals in both the 800m and 1500m at worlds.
The women’s 1500m final at worlds in London is Aug. 7. The 800m first round is Aug. 9. Semenya is also in the South African 4x400m relay pool.
Semenya has raced one 1500m this year, winning her national title, and last raced the event internationally in 2011, according to Tilastopaja.org.
Her personal best from 2016 would rank No. 15 in the world this year.
That would make her an underdog versus the likes of Rio gold medalist Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, world-record holder Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia and Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who has the three fastest times in the world this year.
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