Double Olympic 800 metres champion Caster Semenya has been confirmed for the 69th edition of the Cork City Sports, set for Tuesday July 5th at the MTU Stadium in Bishopstown.
The South African woman will run the 3,000 metres and will look to use the event to prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later in July. Among her opponents on the evening will be Ireland’s Sarah Healy,
Since a controversial ruling by World Athletics in 2019, the now 31 year-old Semenya has been unable to run internationally at events between 400m and a mile, unless she takes medication to reduce her high testosterone levels, having been classed as an athlete with differences in sexual development (DSD).
Semenya hopes to qualify for the 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games. Others in the field, including Healy, are eying up the European Championships in July. The 21 year-old set a new Irish Under-23 record in the 1,500m (of 4.02.86) on Tuesday to rise to fourth on the Irish all-time list.
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Healy is also down to race the 100m and 400m, while Darragh McIlhenny is eying the meeting record in the men’s 3,000m, along with Sean Tobin, Hiko Tonosa, and teenage star Nick Griggs.
