CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Former 800-meter world champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Caster Semenya has not made South Africa's initial team for the worlds in Beijing next month after failing to post a qualifying time.
Athletics South Africa said Tuesday that athletes have until the end of July to qualify, with a final deadline of Aug. 10 for ''exceptional circumstances.'' The championships begin Aug. 22.
Semenya needs to run 2 minutes, 1 second to make the team in the 800. She has a best of 2:04.19 this season but had to pull out of this month's world student games with a recurrence of the knee injury that forced her to miss the 2013 worlds.
Semenya made global headlines when it was revealed she underwent gender tests before winning the 2009 world title as an 18-year-old.
