Caster Semenya will face the Ugandan challenge of Winnie Nanyondo and Halimah Nakaayi this coming Thursday, 08 March 2018 at what should be an action-packed second Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series Meeting at Tuks Athletics Stadium in the seldom run 1000m.
This will be a first for the entire line-up as not one of these athletes has raced in a competitive 1000m.
Semenya should start as favourite based on her Personal Best times, however this is a non-standard distance and will affect pace judgement. Nakaayi won the 800m at the first Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series Meeting last Thursday (01 March) in Roodepoort, ahead of her countrywoman, Winnie Nanyondo. However, all bets are off as the duo look to take the biggest scalp of their careers.
Semenya, who won the gold medal in the 800m and bronze in the 1500m at the 2017 IAAF world Championships in London, is looking forward to the encounter, in particular in front of the crowd at Tuks where she is now training.
“It is always a pleasure to run here. This is now my home and I love racing in front of the people at Tuks. They are always very supportive,” said Semenya.
On the Ugandan challenge, Semenya is relishing the chance to take on international athletes at home. “It is exciting. I am always racing international competitions in Europe or America, never at home. So to face Winnie and Halimah at home is fantastic for the sport. And I know they will want to run fast. I saw them run in Roodepoort and they mean business.”
A few weeks ago, Semenya hinted at chasing the South African record of 2:37.2 run by Ilse de Kock Wicksell in 1983, if the pace was right.
“I did mention that maybe the (SA) record could be on the cards a few weeks ago, but now with the Ugandan girls, I know it will be a hard race.”
Both the Ugandan athletes are keenly anticipating the race against Semenya. “This is why we came to South Africa. We want to race against Caster on African soil. It is important to us,” said Nanyondo.
“You know this will be an aggressive race with Caster in the mix,” said Nakaayi, the winner of the 800m in Roodepoort. “She is not scared of pushing the pace, so we know this will be a hard race.”
EVENT INFORMATION: Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series
The Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix is more than just a show, it enables athletes the opportunity to compete against South African and global talent; for them to be nurtured and invested in, so that they have the potential of becoming green and gold medalists.
Dates and Venues:
| Thursday, 08 March 2018 | Tuks Stadium, Tshwane |
| Thursday, 22 March 2018 | Dal Josaphat Stadium, Paarl |
Ticket Prices:
Main Pavilion Tickets
| Standard Ticket: | R 100 each |
| Children under 16 years of age: | R 50 each |
Open Stand/Grass Banks
| Standard Ticket: | R 50 each |
| Children under 16 years of age: | R 50 each |
ONLINE TICKET SALES are open and can be purchased via www.webtickets.co.za
Tickets can also be purchased at the gate of each event.
Visit the event’s Facebook page for regular announcements!
Facebook: AthletixGrandPrix
Twitter: @AthletixGP
Website: www.athletixgrandprix.com
ABOUT LIQUID TELECOM
Liquid Telecom is a leading communications services and solutions provider across 13 countries in Eastern, central and Southern Africa that serves carrier, enterprise and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity and digital services.
It has built Africa’s largest independent fibre network, spanning over 50,000km, and operates state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nairobi, with a combined 6,800 square meters of rack space.
This is in addition to leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft Office365 and Microsoft Azure, and innovative digital content provision, including Netflix, NBA, TED and Kwese Play.
Through this combined offering, Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers’ experience on their digital journey.
About Athletics South Africa:
Athletics South Africa (ASA) is the national governing body for the sport of athletics (including Track and Field, Cross Country, Road Running and Race Walking) in South Africa, which is a member of the IAAF, and the Confederation of African Athletics. The association is based in Johannesburg.