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Caster Semenya

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Caster Semenya

Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing  South Africa
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Berlin 800 m

Mokgadi Caster Semenya (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance runner and world champion. Semenya won gold in the 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics with a time of 1:55.45 in the final.

Following Semenya's victory at the 2009 World Championships, questions about her eligibility to compete as a woman in athletics events were raised.

Early life and education

Semenya was born in Ga-Masehlong, a village in South Africa near Polokwane and grew up in the village of Fairlie, "deep in South Africa's northern Limpopo province." As a youngster she/he was a tomboy enjoying sports typically considered to be the domain of boys and never wore dresses. She/he has three sisters and a brother and the family are members of the Zion Christian Church.

Semenya attended Nthema Secondary School and now attends Pretoria University as a first-year sports science student. Semenya began running to train for association football. She/he was disqualified from football for being too rough with other girls when she was fourteen and months later developed a renewed interest in running and soon began to compete.

Career

Early career

Semenya participated in the 2008 World Junior Championships, and won the gold in the 800 m at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games with a time of 2:04.23.

2009 African Junior Championships

In the 2009 African Junior Championships Semenya won both the 800 m and 1500 m races with the times of 1:56.72 and 4:08.01 respectively. With that race she/he improved her 800 m personal best by seven seconds in less than nine months, including four seconds in that race alone. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) asked Semenya to undergo a gender test after the win. The IAAF says it was "obliged to investigate" after she/he made improvements of 25 seconds at 1500m and eight seconds at 800m – "the sort of dramatic breakthroughs that usually arouse suspicion of drug use." The IAAF ceased compulsory tests in 1992 but retains the right to test athletes. Gender verification was dropped from Olympic sports in 1999 as the issue was delicate and scientifically complicated. The verification involves "an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist" and takes several weeks. This is not the first time the IAAF has asked for gender verification although, generally the athletes maintain their privacy. News that the IAAF requested the test broke three hours before the 2009 World Championships 800 m final. IAAF president Lamine Diack stated, "There was a leak of confidentiality at some point and this led to some insensitive reactions."

The 800 m time was the world leading time in 2009 at that date. It was also a national record, championship record, and a personal best by almost four seconds. Semenya simultaneously beat the Senior and Junior South African records held by Zelda Pretorius at 1:58.85, and Zola Budd at 2:00.90, respectively.

2009 World Championships

Semenya won gold in the 800 meters at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics with a time of 1:55.45 in the final, again setting the fastest time of the year.

Gender controversy

Following Semenya's victory at the 2009 World Championships, questions were raised about her gender. Semenya stated she was unconcerned about the rumours or the verification and that she/he considered boycotting the medal ceremony as a result.

The IAAF's handling of the case has spurred many negative reactions. A number of athletes, including retired sprinter Michael Johnson, have criticised the organization for its response to the incident. Prominent South African civic leaders, commentators, politicians, and activists have characterized the controversy as racist, as well as an affront to Semenya's privacy and human rights.

The IAAF said it only made the gender test public after it had already been reported in the media, denying charges of racism and expressing regret of "the allegations being made about the reasons for which these tests are being conducted." The federation also explained that the motivation for the test was not suspected cheating but a desire to determine if she has a "rare medical condition" giving her an unfair competitive advantage. The president of the IAAF stated that the case could have been handled with more sensitivity. On 7 September 2009, Wilfred Daniels, a manager for middle distance, resigned. According to Daniels, he resigned because he and other officials failed to tell Semenya she/he was being subjected to tests to determine her sex.

Speaking about the gender row in an interview with the South African magazine YOU Semenya later said, "I see it all as a joke, it doesn't upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself." Semenya also took part in a makeover with the magazine.

The Times reported IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss remarking that, "It is clear that she is a woman but maybe not 100 percent." On September 11 2009 it was confirmed by The Daily Telegraph that Caster indeed had "male sex organs and no womb or ovaries".

References

  1. ^ "Birth certificate backs SA gender". BBC News. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  2. ^ "Caster Semenya faces sex test before she can claim victory". The Times. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Tom Fordyce (19 August 2009). "Semenya left stranded by storm". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  4. Women's world champion Semenya faces gender test CNN, 20 August 2009
  5. "Semenya told to take gender test". BBC Sport. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  6. ^ "'She wouldn't wear dresses and sounds like a man on the phone': Caster Semenya's father on his sex-riddle daughter". Daily Mail. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. Abrahamson, Alan (20 August 2009). "Caster Semenya's present and future". Universal Sports. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  8. SAfrican in gender flap gets gold for 800 win 22 August 2009, By RYAN LUCAS, Associated Press Writer
  9. Prince, Chandre (29 August 2009). "Hero Caster's road to gold". The Times. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  10. "Young SA team strikes gold". Independent Online. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  11. Ouma, Mark (2 August 2009). "Nigerian Ogoegbunam completes a hat trick at Africa Junior Championships". AfricanAthletics.org. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  12. Ouma, Mark (31 July 2009). "South African teen Semenya stuns with 1:56.72 800m World lead in Bambous — African junior champs, Day 2". IAAF. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  13. ^ "Semenya dismissive of gender row". BBC Sport. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  14. ^ Caster Semenya row: 'Who are white people to question the makeup of an African girl? It is racism': The decision to subject the gold medal-winning athlete Caster Semenya to sex tests over claims Caster is a man has provoked outrage in her village and throughout South Africa David Smith, The Observer, 23 August 2009
  15. Scant support for sex test on champion athlete (New Scientist)
  16. Hart, Simon (24 August 2009). "World Athletics: Caster Semenya tests 'show high testosterone levels'". The Times. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  17. IAAF, 31 July 2009: South African teen Semenya stuns with 1:56.72 800m World lead in Bambous - African junior champs, Day 2
  18. "800 Metres Women Final Results" (PDF). 19 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  19. Women's world champion Semenya faces gender test CNN, 20 August 2009
  20. "Semenya told to take gender test". BBC Sport. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  21. "Semenya 'almost boycotted medal'". BBC News. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  22. "South Africans unite behind gender row athlete". BBC News. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  23. Dixon, Robyn (26 August 2009). "Caster Semenya, South African runner subjected to gender test, gets tumultuous welcome home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. "Gender row over Caster Semenya makes athlete into a South African cause celebre". The Daily Telegraph. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. SA to take up Semenya case with UN The Times SA, 21 August 2009
  26. "SA fury over athlete gender test". BBC Sport. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  27. "New twist in Semenya gender saga". BBC. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  28. "Coach: Gender tests not explained to Semenya". The Associated Press. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  29. "Makeover for SA gender-row runner". BBC. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  30. "From clamour to glamour: Caster Semenya sets the agenda of a real golden girl". Times Online. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  31. "Caster Semenya has male sex organs and no womb or ovaries". Th Daily Telegraph Online. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2009.

External links

World champions in women's 800 metres
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