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Caster Semenya

Middle-distance runner

By South African Index Editorial Desk · Published

Caster Semenya at an athletics event
Photograph: Yann Caradec · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0. Displayed from the linked source.

Caster Semenya is a South African middle-distance runner. World Athletics records her as a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion, with a national record of 1:54.25 for 800 metres. She received the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze in 2014. [1][2]

Biography

Semenya was born on 7 January 1991 and developed as a middle-distance runner in Limpopo. Her early international results included junior competitions before she became a senior world champion over 800 metres. [1][2]

World Athletics records Semenya as a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion. Her 800-metre personal best of 1:54.25, set in 2018, is listed as a South African national record. [1]

In 2014 South Africa awarded Semenya the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze. The official citation recognised her contribution to middle-distance track running and the national significance of her sporting performances. [2]

Key contributions

Won Olympic and world championship titles for South Africa in middle-distance athletics. [1]

Received the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze in recognition of her contribution to South African sport. [2]

Career timeline

  1. Won a senior world title in the 800 metres. [1]

  2. Received the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze. [2]

  3. Ran 1:54.25 for 800 metres, listed by World Athletics as her national-record personal best. [1]

Sources

  1. World Athletics, Caster Semenya profile. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
  2. The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, National Orders Booklet 2014, 2014-04-27. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩