South Africa's Caster Semenya celebrates after winning the gold medal in the final of the Women's 800m during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus
An intriguing story to emerge this week is that of Caster Semenya, the South African 800m runner who has been the subject of intense speculation regarding her gender. The South African delegation is standing behind her, but the IAAF wants a gender test to be done.
The test is a complex procedure and requires the services of an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender, and a psychologist. After going through all that, I wouldn’t be 100 percent sure if I was Martha or Arthur.
She clearly is a tomboy of sorts.
Her principal said: “She was always rough and played with the boys. She liked soccer and she wore pants to school. She never wore a dress. It was only in Grade 11 that I realised she’s a girl.”
There is every chance that Semenya is a hermaphrodite.
The IAAF is to blame for this situation to develop. They let this issue fester to where it has now become a media circus. It was obvious that the story was only going to grow and thus the testing process should have been expedited.
This is a very tricky and delicate issue as to be accused of being a different gender is a far bigger claim than someone being on drugs.
What if the testing proves she is a hermaphrodite? Would it be fair for her to race with the women where she has a discernible advantage?
She won the race by a margin of sizeable 2.45 seconds. This time would have given her the silver medal in Beijing.
Sporting administrators need to be pro-active so that things are addressed before they are played out in a public forum.
With a little bit of foresight, the IAAF could have avoided trial by media.
But it’s too late now.
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
It’s a pretty good time to be a Tasmanian sports fan right now. After years in the sporting wilderness with not much to celebrate,…
Olympic swimming legend and Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins has warned that "someone will die" if a multi-sport event that allows athletes to…
In 2015 when heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko, the fighter regarded by many as the ‘Greatest of all time’ in the sport,…
Join Australia's most vibrant online sports community and you have the chance to win $1000. The Roar is the perfect blend of sports reporting,…
Here is a review of our boxers who made a splash in the world rankings over the past year.
After intense debate at Roar HQ, we’ve selected the 23 most controversial moments for 2023.
