OSLO: Halima Hachlaf came from nowhere to outshine reigning world champion Caster Semenya in the women’s 800-metre at the Bislett Games. The 22-year-old Moroccan produced a formidable sprint finish down the home stretch to pip Semenya and second-placed Russian Mariya Savinova in a world lead time of one minute 58.27 seconds. World indoor and European outdoor champion Savinova clocked one minute 58.44 seconds. “I’m happy with my time but Hachlaf was just too good,” said Semenya. “This is the road to the world championships for me. I need to be strong and get back to normal.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2011.
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