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Caster Semenya wins gold

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Caster Semenya (gold), Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi (silver), and Margaret Woambui of Kenya (bronze) with their respective medals after the victory ceremony. Picture: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
Caster Semenya (gold), Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi (silver), and Margaret Woambui of Kenya (bronze) with their respective medals after the victory ceremony. Picture: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images

Caster Semenya has won the 800m gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

South Africa's most talked about and arguably most celebrated athlete took home Olympic gold in 1:55.28, a personal best and new South African record. 

Semenya is the first black South African woman to win an Olympic gold medal. 

Semenya, who was the outright favourite, never looked in any distress throughout the race.

She led for most of the race and was only overtaken during the second lap by Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi who eventually claimed silver.

Semenya powered home in the last 100m, well ahead of Niyonsaba, to claim her best race and the national record.

Semenya's gold takes Team South Africa's tally to ten medals, achieving Sascoc's goal set before the team departed to Brazil.

This is also South Africa's largest medal haul in 64 years. 

Semenya has been in sterling form this season having run the season best time and then winning her heat and the semifinal race in Rio de Janeiro. 

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