• Athletics

Meadows tips Semenya to shatter 27-year-old record

Caster Semenya returned to competitive racing last week after 11 months out of the sport © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Meadows calls for calm over Semenya return
  
• News: Semenya marks return to track with easy win
  
• News: Semenya given green light to compete
  
• Profile: Jenny Meadows

Jenny Meadows believes world 800m champion Caster Semenya will never be accepted by the majority of her rivals.

Meadows, who won bronze behind the South African in Berlin last summer, has always been sympathetic towards Semenya, who was later embroiled in an investigation following a gender test, but she fears many of her fellow athletes will not accept the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) decision to allow Semenya to compete.

"I don't think there is acceptance, to be honest," Meadows said. "When I raced in Gateshead I know some of the other girls were saying: 'Oh, so Caster's back,' and the tone of their voices was sort of: 'What's it going to be like with Caster back?'

"Obviously, athletes are very competitive and they are always going to be quite judgmental. It was a shame last year and it did make me quite uncomfortable with myself when all the other girls were staring at Caster and Caster had her head down and didn't feel very comfortable with the situation.

"I think it's just going to be exactly the same. She's in a massive spotlight and athletes, coaches and fans alike will want to know her story, how she is reacting, whether she looks any different."

Semenya made her return to racing in Finland last week after an 11-month absence, posting a time of 2min 2.41sec, and Meadows believes it is only a matter of time before Semenya breaks Jarmila Kratochvilova's world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983.

"How much faster she can go will be very interesting," Meadows said. "I'm sure she will be formidable opposition to run against. If she does a bit more training I think she'll absolutely shatter the world record to be honest."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.