A back injury could rule women’s 800m world champion Caster Semenya out of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, her coach said on Monday.
Semenya’s absence from the event would be a major blow to South Africa’s meagre medal hopes.
The 19-year-old runner ran away from the field to scoop the 800m title at the world championships in Berlin last year, but was then barred from competition for 11 months while undergoing extensive gender tests.
In July, the IAAF cleared her to compete against women, without revealing the test results.
Since returning to the field, the fifth-ranked runner in her event has shown inconsistent form.
“Her back has been troubling her in training, but we don’t know how serious it is,” her coach Michael Seme was quoted by the South African Press Association (SAPA) as saying.
“She will see a doctor today or tomorrow, and based on what he tells us we will decide whether or not she will compete.”
