Semenya wins in her return race

Finland: South African 800 metres World champion Caster Semenya has won her first race since being cleared to return to competition after undergoing gender tests.

The 19-year-old South African won the 800m at the Lappeenranta Games in Finland in a modest time of two minutes, 4.22 seconds.

The time she clocked was nine seconds slower than her triumph at the World Championships in Berlin last summer, but the her coach and Semenya herself reportedly seemed to be happy with the result, especially after having missed out training sessions in recent months.

“The performance was pretty good because after sitting at home for 11 months, to come back and run 2.04 is not easy, especially after what happened to me. So, yes, I"m pretty happy with it," The Telegraph quoted Semenya, as saying, as according to ANI reports.

"I was a little bit nervous because it has been a long time not competing. It's a new beginning," she added.

Semenya, who will race again in Finland on Sunday at the Lapinlahti Games, is hoping to compete in October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi where she could face Britain's Jenny Meadows, who won bronze in Berlin.

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