Tweet
World title a case of farce or class
Caster Semenya wins the 800 metres.
Photo: Reuters
Latest related coverage
Other related coverage
Advertisement
Dan Silkstone, Berlin
August 21, 2009
IN THE end it turned out a farce. Faced with plenty of questions and no satisfactory answers, the International Association of Athletics Federations chose to delay a decision on the eligibility of controversial runner Caster Semenya, allowing the South African to win the 800 metres in a performance so dominant it verged on mockery.
Semenya was cleared to run but not cleared of allegations and questions that have dogged her in recent days, as South African officials were ordered to organise more complex gender testing to determine whether she would be stripped of her world title when results were received in several weeks.
In a way it was the worst possible outcome, but one hard to avoid. Her performance did not help as she powered home to annihilate a world-class field, winning by more than 20 metres.
Britain's Jennifer Meadows, who finished a distant third, declined to buy into the hubub, describing Semenya as ''a great athlete''. It is just about the only thing in this whole situation that we know to be true.
A few months ago few had even heard of the teenager from Limpopo. So quickly has she emerged and so dominant has she become that it was only as she threatened to grab the world title that the world began to ask awkward questions, taking note of her brawny physique, powerful style and noticeable facial hair.
The IAAF was simply sideswiped, though it had begun its investigations three weeks earlier. Officials began looking into Semenya's physiology when, last month, she suddenly posted a world-leading time of one minute 56.72 seconds at the African junior championships in Mauritius.
Her case has shown just how arbitrary assigning of gender can be. Tests already carried out have been inconclusive and conflicting. The public's verdict was simpler. After her win, the reception from the passionate crowd was muted, to say the least. To boo would have been horrible, to cheer felt wrong. They did nothing, showing their feelings, though, when second-placed Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei and third-placed Meadows were flashed up on the screen and given rapturous applause.
Semenya grabbed the flag of South Africa and tried to set out on a victory lap but was quickly intercepted by officials and ushered from the track. Meadows was more than sporting about the controversy surrounding her rival. ''Whatever happens, I feel sorry for her,'' she said.
In contrast to every other competitor at these championships, Semenya did not pass through the mix zone, allowing no media representatives to question or interview her. Her official winner's media conference was cancelled in a bid to protect her from further scrutiny.
Off the record, the word from the IAAF was that this case was more a sad mishandling than sinister plot. Officials do not believe the South African team deliberately passed off a male athlete as female. Nor do they believe Semenya herself has willingly deceived.
Said one source: ''Sometimes these kids just emerge out of the villages and nobody knows anything about them. They are born a little bit different, they just put a dress on them and that's the end of it.
''Normally they are dealt with before we get to the world championships.''
Caster Semenya wins the 800 metres.Photo: Reuters
Latest related coverage
Other related coverage
Advertisement
Dan Silkstone, Berlin
August 21, 2009
IN THE end it turned out a farce. Faced with plenty of questions and no satisfactory answers, the International Association of Athletics Federations chose to delay a decision on the eligibility of controversial runner Caster Semenya, allowing the South African to win the 800 metres in a performance so dominant it verged on mockery.
Semenya was cleared to run but not cleared of allegations and questions that have dogged her in recent days, as South African officials were ordered to organise more complex gender testing to determine whether she would be stripped of her world title when results were received in several weeks.
In a way it was the worst possible outcome, but one hard to avoid. Her performance did not help as she powered home to annihilate a world-class field, winning by more than 20 metres.
Britain's Jennifer Meadows, who finished a distant third, declined to buy into the hubub, describing Semenya as ''a great athlete''. It is just about the only thing in this whole situation that we know to be true.
A few months ago few had even heard of the teenager from Limpopo. So quickly has she emerged and so dominant has she become that it was only as she threatened to grab the world title that the world began to ask awkward questions, taking note of her brawny physique, powerful style and noticeable facial hair.
The IAAF was simply sideswiped, though it had begun its investigations three weeks earlier. Officials began looking into Semenya's physiology when, last month, she suddenly posted a world-leading time of one minute 56.72 seconds at the African junior championships in Mauritius.
Her case has shown just how arbitrary assigning of gender can be. Tests already carried out have been inconclusive and conflicting. The public's verdict was simpler. After her win, the reception from the passionate crowd was muted, to say the least. To boo would have been horrible, to cheer felt wrong. They did nothing, showing their feelings, though, when second-placed Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei and third-placed Meadows were flashed up on the screen and given rapturous applause.
Semenya grabbed the flag of South Africa and tried to set out on a victory lap but was quickly intercepted by officials and ushered from the track. Meadows was more than sporting about the controversy surrounding her rival. ''Whatever happens, I feel sorry for her,'' she said.
In contrast to every other competitor at these championships, Semenya did not pass through the mix zone, allowing no media representatives to question or interview her. Her official winner's media conference was cancelled in a bid to protect her from further scrutiny.
Off the record, the word from the IAAF was that this case was more a sad mishandling than sinister plot. Officials do not believe the South African team deliberately passed off a male athlete as female. Nor do they believe Semenya herself has willingly deceived.
Said one source: ''Sometimes these kids just emerge out of the villages and nobody knows anything about them. They are born a little bit different, they just put a dress on them and that's the end of it.
''Normally they are dealt with before we get to the world championships.''
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
) into the media spotlight for the wrong reasons. dem even have it on cnn where the only other athletics stroy is the world records
Comment