South Africa's Caster Semenya is hoping to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal at Gold Coast 2018 ©Getty Images

Caster Semenya has targetted winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the Gold Coast next month to fill the gap in her collection. 

The South African has won two Olympic gold medals and three International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championship titles but winning at the Commonwealth Games is a priority.

The 27-year-old is due to make her Commonwealth Games debut at Gold Coast 2018 after missing Delhi 2010 because of controversy over her eligibility due to her gender and then having to sit out Glasgow 2014 as a result of injury.

Semenya nevertheless has happy memories of the Commonwealth Youth Games, which she competed in in Pune in 2008, a race she won in 2min 04.23sec.

"When I became an Olympic champion [at London 2012], that was my greatest achievement," she told Indian website Firstpost. 

"When I combine them all, Berlin [2009 IAAF World Championships] is my first major world title, so that’s also one of my greatest achievements."

Caster Semenya has won two Olympic gold medals and three IAAF World Championship titles but still remembers her first international appearance at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in 2008 ©Getty Images
Caster Semenya has won two Olympic gold medals and three IAAF World Championship titles but still remembers her first international appearance at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in 2008 ©Getty Images

Semenya added: "But the one that I will never forget - the first time I won any gold medal - was the medal I won in India - at the Commonwealth Youth Games. 

"That’s when I knew that I have something in me since I was able to defeat the biggest competitors. 

"When I talk about the biggest competitors, I am talking about the Kenyans. 

"So being able to win over them made it special.

"I rate it as the highest because that’s when I was born if I may say so. 

"That’s when I raised the bar for myself. 

"My first appearance and being able to win in a big manner [made it special]. 

"That’s the biggest achievement you can ask for, especially coming from a rural area and then being on top. 

"That was basically my introduction to the world."

Caster Semenya broke the 35-year-old South African record for 1,000m in Pretoria last week as part of her warm-up for Gold Coast 2018, where she plans to run the 800m and 1500m ©Getty Images
Caster Semenya broke the 35-year-old South African record for 1,000m in Pretoria last week as part of her warm-up for Gold Coast 2018, where she plans to run the 800m and 1500m ©Getty Images

Semenya warmed up for Gold Coast 2018 last week by breaking South Africa's 35-year-old record for the 1,000m.

She ran 2:35:44 in Pretoria. 

Semenya is expected to run the 800m and 1500m at Gold Coast 2018 and hopes to erase the bad memories of Glasgow 2014. 

"The year I did not qualify for the Commonwealth Games because I was injured was my worst moment as an athlete," she said. 

"Being an athlete, you don't want to miss any finals. 

"As an athlete, you always want to improve, that's why you go back and train."