When an athletics-related story dominates media attention even ahead of a certain Usain Bolt, it is likely to be big news, and there is huge media spotlight on the new women’s 800m world champion Caster Semenya
Usually, allegations of cheating involve doping accusations, but for the second time in modern history, there is controversy over an athlete’s gender.
An enquiry will take place concerning the 18 year old South African, who won the 800m by a street in the World Championships in Berlin, as the International Association of Athletics Federation have asked her to take a gender test to determine whether she is actually male or female, which will be carried out at “special hospitals” in Berlin and South Africa.”
Having just burst onto the global athletics scene, Caster has gone from complete unknown to world champion in the blink of an eye, leading to the IAAF request for a gender test after her startling performance at the African junior championships in Mauritius at the end of July.
Doubts were raised after she improved her personal best by seven seconds in nine months, and Semenya destroyed the field on Wednesday with a time of 1 minute 55.45 seconds. Her unassailable lead of five metres coming into the final straight was never under threat from 2007 champion Janeth Jepkosgei, who finished 2.45 seconds behind (the biggest margin in the history of the Athletics World Championship), or bronze medallist Briton Jenny Meadows.
The sheer performance gains are not the only suspicious factor: coupled with Semenya’s muscular physique, traces of facial hair and muscular features, rumours started fast and two of the seven other finalists are convinced she should be disqualified.
Sixth-place finisher Elisa Cusma Piccione of Italy told Los Angeles Times journalists “There are people who shouldn’t compete with us,”
Russian Mariya Savinova, who took fifth, agreed. “She is not a woman, she is a man. We let people win medals, and they don’t deserve it.”
Since it takes several weeks to process the test, results will not be obtained before she is due to collect her medal on Thursday, the athlete now faces intense media scrutiny.
Caster was initially protected from media glare by the South African Athletics Federation, as IAAF Secretary General Pierre Weiss handled a press conference in her place, admitting that it was a complex issue.
“At this stage, it’s confusing,” he said. “Personally I have no clue what’s going on. I rely on and trust our doctors. We would have preferred not to have had a controversy.”
“If it is proved that she is not a female, she will be withdrawn and the medals revised. At the moment, the athlete must be given the benefit of the doubt.”
The athlete has since claimed that the attention does not faze her, telling reporters “I don’t give a damn about it.”
The South African athletics federation reacted angrily to the situation and stated it is entirely convinced of her eligibility. General manager Molatelo Malehop issued a statement that they “would not have entered her in the female competition if we had any doubts.”
It is the timing of the investigation that has attracted heavy criticism of the IAAF, who made the announcement public before she took part in the final.
Denise Lewis slated the treatment of the 18 year old as “absolutely dreadful” and said she found it “awful she had to compete with this hanging over her head. It should have been sorted out much, much sooner than this.”
The South African Olympics president, Gideon Sam, concurred.
“We condemn the way she was linked with such media speculation and allegation, especially on a day she ran in the final of her first major world event. We have every faith in Athletics South Africa and the team they selected to attend the World Championships in Berlin.”
Semenya’s family has also waded into the row, with her mother, Dorcus, expressing confidence the issue will be resolved. “I am not even worried…because I know who and what my child is. Mokgadi is a girl and no one can change that.”
“If you go (to) my home village and ask any of my neighbours, they would tell you that Mokgadi is a girl.
Semenya comes from a remote village in the province of Limpopo and has received sympathy from many South Africans, where Facebook support groups have rapidly sprung up. The creator of one such group, Thabiso Theffo, said he wanted to “to show support for the running sensation who has received unfair treatment”.
In 1936, German highjumper Dora Ratjen won gold at the Berlin Olympics, but was later discovered to be a man by the name of Hermann. He claimed he had been pressurized by the Nazi government who wanted to win medals for the glory of the Third Reich.
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