Athletics: Silver lining?
Jenny Meadows could yet be awarded World Championship silver depending on an investigation into champion Caster Semenya.
Last Updated: 20/08/09 8:59am
Jenny Meadows is celebrating winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in Berlin - and could yet be awarded silver depending on the result of an investigation into champion Caster Semenya.
Meadows looked out of contention for most of the 800 metres final but produced a storming finish to snatch third on the line in a new personal best of one minute and 57.93 seconds.
South African Semenya, the subject of an official investigation into her gender, powered to victory in 1:55.45, more than a second quicker than her previous best and the fastest time in the world this year.
Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei took silver, more than two seconds behind Semenya but just 0.03secs ahead of Meadows, with Britain's Marilyn Okoro back in eighth place.
Meadows, who became the third fastest British athlete of all-time, behind double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes and Kirsty Wade, had to wait for the result to be confirmed on the big screen in the stadium after lunging for the line.
"I could tell I had a medal, I couldn't tell if it was silver or bronze and I didn't want to celebrate," admitted the 28-year-old from Wigan.
Asked about the controversy surrounding Semenya, Meadows added: "It's up to the IAAF to sort it out. You can't do anything about who is out there.
"There's just eight people on the track and you just have to make sure you're in the first three to get a medal."