South Africa’s Caster Semenya coasted to victory in the 800 metres at the Monaco Diamond League in a world leading and personal best time on Friday night to underline her status as a heavy favourite for next month’s Rio Olympics.

On a subdued evening in Monaco following Thursday’s Bastille Day attack in nearby Nice, Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers won the women’s 100m while there was a surprise triumph in the men’s 1,500m as Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi beat Olympic champions Taoufik Makhloufi, Mo Farah and Asbel Kiprop.

There had been doubts as to whether the meeting would take place after a gunman at the wheel of a heavy truck ploughed into a crowd celebrating France’s national day in Nice, killing at least 84 people.

A decision was made for the event to go ahead although a statement said the programme would be kept “strictly to the sporting events with no festivities”.

Semenya streaked away to finish in 1:55.33, more than a second ahead of her previous world leading time of 1:56.64. Semenya, who had to undergo gender testing before being cleared to compete as a woman after winning the world championship in 2009, powered away on the home straight to shave 12 hundredths of a second off her personal best.

World indoor champion Francine Niyonsaba trailed in second, with Kenya’s Jepkoech Eunice in third.

Dominant victory

Schippers claimed a dominant win in the 100m, crossing the line in 10.94 seconds, a long way clear of Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown (11.12) and South Africa’s Carina Horn (11.14).

Kenya’s former Olympic and three-times world champion Kiprop was beaten into sixth place in a fast-paced 1,500 metres that was won by his 20-year-old compatriot Kwemoi.

Kwemoi kicked in the home straight to streak clear, crossing the line in 3:30.49.

Farah, Britain’s 5,000 and 10,000m Olympic gold medallist trailed home in fifth in 3:31.74, behind Kenya’s second-placed Elijah Motonei Manangoi (3:31.19), Algeria’s Makhloufi (3:31.35) and Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco (3:31.54).

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