Caster Semenya: Double Olympic Gold Medallist Joins Women's Football Team

Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic 800-meter champion, has signed up to play with a South AFrican based women’s soccer club, JVW FC.

Caster Semenya: Double Olympic Gold Medallist Joins Women's Football Team
HerSport Editor
HerSport Editor

Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya, looks set to make her football debut for South African side JVW next year.

Semenya has been embroiled in a dispute with the IAAF which means she is unable to defend her 800m world title at the World Championships in Doha next month.

The 28-year-old seems to be preparing for a career outside of athletics as she has signed for South African women's club JVW FC, a club based in the province of Gauteng that plays in the top flight of South African women's football.

Semenya announced that she is starting a "new journey", but is unable to make her debut until next season - starting in 2020 - with the transfer window currently closed.

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The 800m World Champion is currently appealing against a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which approved the IAAF's introduction of a new testosterone limit for female athletes.

JVW, who are owned by South Africa women's captain Janine van Wyk, announced the signing of Semenya on Thursday.

"I am grateful for this opportunity and I appreciate the love and support I already get from the team," Semenya said in a statement.

"I am looking forward to this new journey, and hopefully I can contribute as much as I can to the club."

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Van Wyk said: "I am absolutely honoured that out of all the other women's clubs around the world, she has chosen JVW as the club where she would like to start showcasing her football skills.

"I welcomed her at her first training [session] with the team on Tuesday and was impressed to see that she definitely has all the fundamentals.

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