Caster Semenya fails, Francine Niyonsaba succeeds in qualifying for Tokyo Olympics

Olympic 800m silver medalist Francine Niyonsaba, barred from competing over that distance by World Athletics’ testosterone-reducing regulations, set a Tokyo Olympic qualifying time in the women’s 5 000m in a meeting in France on Tuesday.

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The 28-year-old from Burundi, like two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya, has been trying to qualify for the postponed Tokyo Games later this year.

Francine Niyonsaba clocked 14:54.70 as she finished fourth in Montreuil, bettering her own personal best by more than 17 seconds and easily coming in under the Olympic qualifying time of 15:10.00.

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“I’m qualified, I’m very happy, it was my desire,” said Niyonsaba.

“I had a great race, I’m very proud. It was tough for me to step up from 800m to 5 000m, there’s been a lot of suffering.

“It took time, but I persisted, I adapted my training, I doubled my efforts as far as the 800m is concerned.”

Francine Niyonsaba added: “It’s a great response.”

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Females like Niyonsaba and South African Semenya who have unusually high levels of testosterone, which gives them added strength, are prohibited from competing in races between 400m and a mile.

It has left them looking around at what other events they might qualify in for the Tokyo Games.

Semenya failed again on Friday in Durban to qualify for the 5 000m, timing 15:32.15.

The International Olympic Committee has set June 29 as the qualification deadline for athletes wanting to compete in Japan.