Coach Caster Semenya not surprised by Glenrose Xaba rise

Semenya, alongside her partner Violet Semenya, took Xaba under their wings in 2021, when she was battling injuries and inconsistency, and transformed her into a national 10km and 21km champion.

Now with the Spar Women’s 10km Grand Prix series title also among her accolades, Semenya told SABC Sport she always believed this would be Xaba’s breakthrough year.

"No, you can never be surprised with the great results that you have worked so hard for, and made a lot of sacrifices for," said Semenya.

"I think, for me, as a mentor-coach, it has been a great journey to see her grow and gain knowledge, and be able to go out there and risk it.

"I think it worked more in her favour, and I think if it's your year, it's your year – and we had to just grab it and take advantage of that, and try to just maintain.

"But I wouldn't be surprised because we have spoken a lot about it and said, 'Look, if you want it, you're going to have to show up, risk it, and grab it – if it works, it works; if it doesn't, we'll have to learn to accept the defeat and learn from it.' So it wasn't a surprise."

When Glenrose Xaba joined Semenya’s training group in Tshwane, she often missed major races through injury, however, this year has marked a turnaround, with Xaba winning eight 10km races, including the national half-marathon title.

"Being able to overcome that, coming from injuries, and being able to be consistent is one of the key things we had to work on – making sure you stick to the plan. There was no plan B, only plan A," she added.

READ: Semenya credited with Glenrose Xaba resurgence