Fresh from her victory in Stockholm, Sweden a few days ago, American 800m record holder Ajee Wilson is of the view that any absence of the embattled Caster Semenya will not make it easier for her at the World Championships in September.

The 25-year-old Wilson, who has a personal best of 1:55.61 minutes for the distance, which ranks her the 44th best of all time in the event, won a bronze medal behind a dominant Semenya at the 2017 World Championships in London. The Olympic champion’s time of 1:55.16 seconds was a personal best and a world-leading time for 2017.

Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi took silver in 1:55.65 minutes, and Wilson was third in 1:55.92 minutes. Both were blown away by Semenya’s astonishing acceleration in the final 50 metres. Now with Semenya in a gender row with the ruling International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and facing a possible ban from the event, Wilson remains focused on the job at hand.

“I think it’s a difficult situation no matter which angle you take it from, and the only thing I can do right now is focus on me and focus on what I can control and that’s my body and running fast. That’s the kind of approach I have taken to it,” she told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“I don’t know the science of it but socially it’s a tough issue but we can’t do much about it, so I have to focus on what I can control,” Wilson reiterated.

However, the absence of the South African could be a moot point, as she recently won an interim ruling in her battle against the IAAF when the Swiss supreme court ordered the international governing body to suspend its testosterone rules, raising the prospect of her competing at the World Championships without having to take hormone suppressing medication.

The ruling temporarily lifts the contentious rules, at least until the IAAF responds with arguments to the supreme court, known as the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to restore the regulations. The IAAF has until June 25 to do so.

Meanwhile, Wilson, who won the 800m at the IAAF Under-18 and Under-20 levels and dominated the American Senior Championships, got a rare win on the circuit in the absence of Semenya at the meet in Sweden on May 30 in 2:00.87 minutes.

“I think as we saw last week in Stockholm, any time someone is there or isn’t there the dynamics of the race changes. So in her absence, I definitely think there’s gonna be more people coming up,” she explained.

“It’s not gonna be an easy cake walk like I hear some people trying to insinuate like gold is a guarantee. It’s not. I don’t take anything for granted. Gold would be the goal, but I know that I still need to put in the hard work and train like I am number two or number three,” said Wilson.

The American great will be defending her title here at the Racers Adidas Grand Prix and will line up against fellow Americans Chishuna Williams, Samantha Watson, Raevyn Rogers, Olivia Baker, Alena Brooks of Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba’s Rosemary Almanza, and Jamaica’s Shaquena Foote.

“I am in really good shape; practice has been going well in the past months, so I think this year I am just looking to be consistent and running a good time and set myself up for the rest of the season,” said Wilson.

“I never really focused on time; I am not time-oriented on how fast I run. It has never been super important to me. So I don’t really think I need to run faster. For me now my focus is Championship medals,” she emphasised.

Wilson, whose name is synonymous with Jamaica, says she is not aware of any Jamaican links “but I feel like it. I have a Jamaican link; my coach is Jamaican. I would have to do some digging”.

But one thing Wilson knows for sure, she is at home on the island competing at Racers Adidas Grand Prix, having won last year in 1:59.84 minutes ahead of Jamaica’s record holder Natoya Goule in 2:00.66 minutes.

“It is slightly different; the field is more homely. It feels better and the atmosphere is different because Jamaicans love track and field and know track and field. Even coming through the airport everybody knows what you are here for, so the culture of track and field gives the meet a different feel,” said Wilson.