Athletics
SEMENYA ADAMANT, INSISTS ON RUNNING
BY MIKE ROWBOTTOM
Caster Semenya won what might be her last race for a while in stunning fashion tonight as she set a meeting record of 1min 54.98sec in the women’s 800m at the opening International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League meeting of the season.
Afterwards, however, the tone of her comments was proud and defiant: “I will keep on training and running – to me, impossibility is nothing.”
The South African’s performance in Doha’s cavernous, refurbished Khalifa Stadium was the eighth fastest of all time and only just shy of her personal best of 1:54.25, the fourth best of all time.
In less than five months, Khalifa Stadium is due to host the IAAF World Championships.
But whether Semenya, who lost her appeal this week against the IAAF’s planned eligibility regulations for the female classification for athletes with differences of sex development, will be there remains open to question.
The IAAF has warned that female runners whose testosterone levels have been reduced to the statutory level of 5 nmol/L limit by May 8 will be able to compete in the World Championships, even though they will not have maintained their level for the statutory six months proposed before being eligible for international women’s competition.
At best, for runners in that category, this means a blank season before a late run in Doha – always assuming that levels can be brought to the required limit by next Thursday.
Thus Semenya’s typically powerful effort tonight had a valedictory feel.
In the wake of the landmark judgement by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s panel, she has tweeted messages hinting that she is considering quitting.
But the commitment of her performance tonight gainsaid that idea.
As did her quotes afterwards.
“I’m excited winning here in Doha,” she said.
“The first race of the season is tough and you may not be able to predict how your body is going to respond to the push but the weather is great and it was wonderful tonight.
“For me, I believe nothing is hard in life because it is up to you how you take life.
“As an athlete, I believe in sportmanship and what sports teaches you is to keep pushing on despite all odds.
“I know life could be difficult at times but I’m a believer and I believe there is always a way to resolve issues.
“One of my firm beliefs is that there is always a way out for everything.
“So if a wall is placed in front of me, I jump it.
“I’m going to keep enjoying my life and live it.
“I will keep on training and running.
“To me, impossibility is nothing.”
Today’s news that the World Medical Association has urged doctors not to administer drugs which lower the level of testosterone in female athletes has added another element of doubt into what is already a situation full of uncertainty.
Semenya was followed home, just as she had been in the Rio 2016 final, by Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba, who confirmed last month that she was subject to the same physiological requirements as Semenya.
Niyonsaba also produced an outstanding run, clocking 1:57.75, with Ajee Wilson of the United States taking third place in 1:58.83.
Much had been expected of the shot put given last month’s huge effort of 22.74 metres by Olympic champion Ryan Crouser of the United States.
Crouser registered another 22m-plus effort, 22.13m, to win from New Zealand’s world champion Tom Walsh, who threw 22.06m.
There was a less expected flourish in another of the mem’s throwing events as Sweden’s European discus silver medallist Daniel Stahl produced one of the finest sequences of throws in history.
The 26-year-old effectively won the competition with a first round effort of 69.63m before following up with throws of 70.49m and 70.56m, his farthest of the night, then 69.54m, 69.50m and 70.32m to become the first man to produce six throws beyond 69.50m in a single competition.
Britain’s European 100 and 200m champion Dinah Asher-Smith won the 200m in 22.26sec before the concluding women’s 3,000m, where Kenya’s 2017 world 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri ran 8:25.60 to finish well clear of Ethiopia’s world 1500m record holder Genzebe Dibaba, second in 8:26.21.
There was another historic moment in the women’s high jump, where – at 17 years and 226 days old – Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh joined steeplechaser Conseslus Kipruto in being the youngest ever winner of a Diamond League event.
The reigning world and European under-18 champion cleared 1.96m to win the high jump in Doha by two clear heights.
Kipruto established the age record with a win in Monaco in 2012.
-insidethegames
The Future Olympian Athletics Classic has been rescheduled from the first quarter of 2026 to the last quarter of the year, as organisers move to transform the meet into a truly national developmental programme spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In a statement signed by Bruce Ijirigho, a former quarter-miler and Team Nigeria captain to the 1976 Summer Olympics, the postponement was described as a strategic decision aimed at broadening participation and ensuring that young talents across the country are discovered and nurtured systematically.
The competition is being organised by the Youth Sports Renaissance Foundation (YSRF), a non-profit organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission by Ijirigho, Godwin Obasogie and Charlton Ehizuelen. The foundation’s primary objective is to revive athletics, particularly at the secondary school level, and rebuild Nigeria’s once-thriving grassroots sports culture.
Ijirigho, who serves as Project Lead, explained that the initiative is not about creating something entirely new but about restoring a proven system that once produced champions.
“This competition is not about reinventing the wheel,” he said. “It is about bringing back the culture that ensured that my contemporaries and I were discovered early in secondary school, received the right coaching and academic support, and went on to earn scholarships while combining sports with education. Many of us later became national, continental and global champions.”
He identified early exposure and modern, age-appropriate coaching as the missing links in youth development across Nigeria and much of Africa.
“The bane of sports in Nigeria and many African countries is that our youth don’t get opportunities early enough and lack modern coaching techniques that accelerate their development,” Ijirigho stated.
According to him, the Future Olympian Athletics Classic will go beyond competition by incorporating international coaching clinics designed to transfer contemporary skills and knowledge to Games masters and grassroots coaches nationwide.
“The Classic will not only discover talents in their early teens but also upgrade the capacity of our coaches. That way, we will nurture them properly to become Olympians and world beaters in their late teens and early twenties. This programme is strictly for high school students because it is developmental.”
The decision to expand the event to all six geopolitical zones, he noted, reflects a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
“Talents abound in every nook and cranny of the country. There are middle- and long-distance runners, sprinters, quarter-milers, jumpers and hurdlers who were either not discovered at all or discovered too late. With this postponement, we can widen the tent and give every Nigerian child a fair chance.”
Ijirigho expressed confidence that with proper planning and sustained grassroots investment, Nigeria can reclaim its place at the summit of global athletics.
“We have what it takes to dominate athletics worldwide. All we need is to get our development programme right. The Future Olympian Athletics Classic will lay that foundation for our youth and for the country when it begins in the last quarter of 2026.”
With its expanded national scope and emphasis on structured youth development, the initiative signals a renewed push to reposition Nigerian athletics for long-term global success.
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Kenya’s Ezra Kipchumba Kering delivered a commanding Valentine’s Day performance to win the 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on Saturday.
Kipchumba surged to the finish line at Eko Atlantic City in an impressive time of 2:11:55, clinching the $50,000 winner’s prize in one of Africa’s most prestigious road races. His decisive kick in the closing stages sealed a memorable triumph in a fiercely contested men’s elite race.
Uganda completed a strong showing on the podium, with Lomoi Samuel finishing just four seconds behind the winner in 2:11:59, while compatriot Namutala Kephar Lumbasi secured third place in 2:12:25 to underline East Africa’s dominance in the men’s event.
The Gold Label marathon, organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited under the leadership of Managing Director Mrs Yetunde Olopade, once again lived up to its billing as a premier long-distance spectacle, attracting top-tier athletes from across the continent and beyond.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Dinke Meseret Meleka claimed top honours, crossing the line in 2:37:36 after a determined run. Kenya’s Daniel Flomena Cheyech followed closely in 2:37:43, while Ethiopia’s Getaw Wgagen Zewdalem finished third in 2:38:59 to complete a tightly fought podium finish.
With another thrilling chapter added to its history, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon reaffirmed its growing stature as a leading destination for elite runners and a major highlight on Africa’s athletics calendar.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The organisers of the gold-labelled Access Bank Lagos City Marathon have described Saturday’s 11th edition as an iconic milestone that ushers in a new decade for one of Africa’s most prestigious road races.
Speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of Access Bank in Lagos, the Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, said the 2026 edition represents growth, resilience and renewed ambition for the marathon.
“This 11th edition is symbolic for us. It is not just another race; it signals the beginning of another decade of excellence, impact and global recognition for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon,” Olopade said.
She expressed appreciation to Access Bank, corporate sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their unwavering support and commitment to the annual event.
“We are deeply grateful to Access Bank, our valued sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their consistency and belief in this vision. Together, we have built one of the most revered road races in Africa, and this year’s event will be nothing short of world-class,” she added.
Olopade assured runners, partners and spectators of a top-quality race that would further consolidate the marathon’s international standing and enhance its global profile.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, commended the organisers for their professionalism and dedication, noting that the marathon has continued to elevate Lagos’ image globally.
“The Lagos State Government remains fully committed to supporting the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon because it continues to put Lagos on the global map in a positive light,” Fatodu said.
“This race is more than a sporting event; it is a celebration of our culture, resilience and capacity to host world-class events. We will continue to provide the enabling environment for it to thrive.”
Adding his voice, Dr Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultra Runners, described the marathon’s evolution over the years as remarkable.
“The progression I have seen at the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is truly phenomenal. Year after year, the race keeps improving in standards, organisation and global appeal,” Khan said.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract elite athletes from across the world, further reinforcing the marathon’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading road races and a flagship sporting event for Nigeria.
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