Caster Semenya clinches 800m gold in Doha Diamond League

Semenya's Doha triumph was her record 30th consecutive 800m race win. She achieved the feat notching a record timing.

Doha: She is determined. Her steely resolve once again helped her to outwit the hostile environment. Just days after losing the legal challenge against the IAAF's controversial rule regulating testosterone levels for women, the two-time Olympic medallist Caster Semenya clinched gold in the 800m category race with a timing of 1.54:800 in the Diamond League here.

Semenya's Doha triumph was her record 30th consecutive 800m race win. She achieved the feat notching a record timing.

"It was an amazing race. When you open up a stadium like this, you've got to give the people a show," Semenya said after clinching the gold.

"For me, this is life. In life, it's hard sometimes. Sometimes it's good... there's nothing that can stop me living in this world. You just have to keep believing," she added.

The 28-year-old, who is a reigning Olympic champion in women's 800m race, also expressed her wish to inspire youngsters to take up the profession.

Caster Semenya is a two-time Olympic gold medallist.

"If kids look up to you, you must keep doing what's best for them. It's no longer about us, it's about the future, the next generation. We keep inspiring them and you know.. life goes on."Semenya was asked to take prescribed medicine to reduce the testosterone level if she wants to compete on the international stage. The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) announced the landmark judgement after three judges spent over two months deliberating over the matter.Even though it stated that IAAF's policy was discriminatory to athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) such as Semenya, the CAS said in a statement that it had been unable to prove it as invalid.

South African had taken the IAAF to the court over its plans requiring female athletes with differences in sexual development -- who are often born with male testes -- to take hormone suppressants, arguing that the policy was discriminatory, unfair, and potentially posed a health risk.

Ross Tucker, a sports scientist who was part of Semenya's team of experts at CAS last month, believes that the medication will mean that she will run the 800m race around seven seconds slower. This would turn her from a world beater in the category to an also-ran and the policy applies from 400m to one mile.