SOUTH African runner Caster Semenya has appointed former world and Olympic champion Maria Mutola as her new coach following her split with Michael Seme.

Semenya, who won the world 800 metres title in Berlin in 2009, revealed she met Mutola by chance before this year’s World Championships in Korea, where she won the silver.

“I want to thank Michael for all his great job during the last three years with me,” Semenya said.

“We have had a lot of success, but during this year and especially the last few months I have been thinking (about) my own career often.

“I was preparing alone the last four weeks for the world championships in Daegu and I met Maria Mutola before my flight to Korea.

“She was giving me great ideas for the games. Maria has been my idol since I started to run. After Korea I was asking Maria if she is interested in coaching me. Her answer was positive and I am very happy now.

“Maria has had a long and super successful career. She will be a great teacher for me.”

Mutola, who retired from athletics in 2008, added: “This is a huge challenge for me to start with Caster.

“She is a great young athlete and already she has done very well. We have still a long road to go if we want to be the number one in London next summer. Caster just needs to take the last steps to be a professional athlete.

“I want to use all my experience to help her to understand what it means to be on the top. It is much easier to get to the top than to stay there.”