The tale of South African runner Caster Semenya could be the script for a gripping Hollywood flick. It narrates a story of success, pain, disgrace and determination to bounce back against the odds.
Yes, at the youthful age of 21, Semenya has become a phenomenon for stirring reasons in the realm of athletics.
In the African Junior Championships in 2009, at 18 years-of-age, Semenya won gold in both the 800m and 1500m races with times of 1:56.72 and 4:08.01 respectively. But what followed her twin triumphs was an extraordinary turn of events leaving the rising star humiliated.
She was subjected to invasive and discomforting gender tests because of brisk improvement in race times, having clocked 1:55.45 in the World Championship final in Berlin just three weeks later. Moreover, Semenya was also scrutinised for her male-ish characteristics and muscular physique.
Now, the ‘legitimate’ reason for conducting a gender verification test in sport is to ensure that female athletes are ‘genuine’ women for competition. How bizarre! The laboratory-based test attempts to trace female athletes with certain chromosomal disorders that apparently give them undue advantage.
“I have been subjected to unwarranted and invasive scrutiny of the most intimate and private details of my being”, Semenya said adding that she had no choice but submit to The International Association of Athletics Federations’ process despite reservations about its integrity.
The IAAF was compelled to launch an investigation in Semenya’s progress since rapid breakthroughs in race time arouse suspicion of drug use. The Federation stated that the prime motive behind the test was to determine whether she had a rare medical condition giving her unfair competitive advantage.
In hindsight, it shouldn’t come as a revelation that a female athlete had been subjected to such thwarting treatment, not for the first time, in this world of male dominance.
In 1967, Polish sprinter Ewa Klobukowska was the first female athlete to be disqualified for having an extra chromosome and internal male-like characteristics. In 1985, Spanish hurdler Maria Patino was shocked when sex tests revealed that genetically she was male. Eventually, it took her two and a half years to be permitted to professionally race again.
Indian middle distance runner, Santhi Soundarajan, was also subjected to gender verification tests following her Silver medal triumph in the Commonwealth Games in 2006.
While it was revealed that a natural condition that produced excess testosterone contributed to Semenya’s dominance over experienced runners, the IAAF refrained from releasing intricate details of the investigation and eventually cleared her to return to competition in July 2010.
The furore surrounding Semenya could have easily killed her tenacity to compete again and maybe also forced her into premature retirement, but thanks to her steely resolve and along with the support of her lawyers, Caster Semenya is running again. And that’s all that matters.
Yes, after an eleven month ban from competition, Semenya is literally back on track preparing herself for the ultimate test – London 2012. Amidst all the euphoria following her qualification for the Olympics, Semenya confidently says, “I have to win gold, that’s what I want….The Olympics is a big step for me and everybody wants to win at the Olympics”.
Despite being away from competition for a year, Semenya is surging and showed glimpses of sparkling form, having emerged second best in the World Championships at Daegu in South Korea in 2011 with just minimal amount of training.
With a burden off her back and an infectious smile back in place, Semenya is raring to go, a positive sign for the world of athletics. Creating a new world record in 800m (currently 1:53.28 by Jarmila Kratochvilova) might prove a far cry but for a woman who has pulled herself up from the dumps, anything is possible.
It’s a pity that female athletes are put through such an ordeal when they stun the world with their genuine brilliance. Semenya’s story once again supports the belief that women are constantly under the pump in society, especially when they are on the rise.
However, for Semenya, there’s no stopping her now.
k77sujith
Guest
Semenya has indeed proved her detractors wrong by winning silver at the Games! Go girl! Great achievement.
k77sujith
Guest
Justin, thanks for your valuable inputs...has been a learning experience reading your thoughts..keep them coming..
Justin
Guest
Not too sure why you say "it should be perfectly fine" It wasn't "fine" ...that is why Caster was banned. The rules of the IAAF are clear.....also , surely it would be madness to promote an advantage gained only by a potentially dangerous medical condition. You say "therz nothn tat can be done as she has evry right within the rules to perform and win " You are incorrect. The IAAF rules forbid a person with such an ilegal advantage running in an IAAF event.....and the IAAF took action. She was banned until the action was taken and she complied. " without a doubt its a male dominant world" You may well be correct there ........but that has no bearing on this case. Any simple research will show that the majority of athletes falling foul of IAAF rules are men. It is a fact. What has not been mentioned (except by myself) on this thread is the question of who speaks for all of those Females WITHOUT an illegal Testosterone advantage who work their butts off ...only to be beaten by someone with three times the evergae Testosterone leves ........courtesy of a Medical condition? I guess the answer must be the IAAF .........and they acted. Good for them.
k77sujith
Guest
Thanks Jinesh.
jinesh
Guest
well written article.. its sad tat semenya had to go thru all the humiliation..i feel as far as the testosterone levels are not artificially enhanced by some performance enhancement drug it shud be perfectly fine.. therz nothn tat can be done as she has evry right within the rules to perform and win.recently there was an indian athhlete pinki who also had to go thru the same humiliation.without a doubt its a male dominant world...
Justin
Guest
k77 , when you think that hundreds of Female athletes are being tested daily ...then it is incorrect to say that "it makes news" because it is a Female being tested. If every Female test "made news" then there would be nothing else in the media. Why do you think it is her Gender that the issue ...and not (for example) the fact that she is a Thai or a Boxer ?
k77sujith
Guest
I agree with the fact that its routine for them but why do you think it makes news when it's a female athlete's turn to undergo a test? Thanks.
Justin
Guest
Male and Female athletes are tested in their hundreds every day....you are incorrect to claim it is not an everyday event. Athletes of both sexes will be tested in their hundreds in the upcoming Olympics. The World Anti Doping Agency agreement requires that athletes are obliged to select one hour per day, seven days a week to be available for no-notice drugs tests. It is nothing to do with sex or gender ...just compliance.
k77sujith
Guest
Yes Justin I agree it's good to have such tests and you're right, it's stated in Usankorn's contract. Like you say, it seems to be normal procedure, but why do you think when a female athlete/sportswoman is subjected to these tests, it makes news? It's not everyday we come across such tests being conducted on sports people, do we? I'd like to know your expert thoughts on this. Thanks Justin.
Justin
Guest
Many Pro athletes of both sexes are tested for performance enhancing substances on a regular basis. This is nothing new. Usankorn has agreed to testing for such substances being part of her contract. Hundreds of thousands of sports people have this as part of their contracts. There is nothing sensational or remarkable about this.....and in the current climate of doping ,I think it is very advisable.
k77sujith
Guest
Another one bites the dust. Thai female boxer Usankorn Kokietgym would be undergoing a hormone test before her fight against Susie Q Ramadan tomorrow. Her promoter says she hits harder than most blokes. Kokietgym has knocked out ten of her opponents and her only loss was to Mexican Ana Maria. Read this in the Herald Sun today.
k77sujith
Guest
I'm not sure if its a good way of dividing athletes on the basis of testosterone levels..it would only lead to further commotion. Thanks.
k77sujith
Guest
Thanks Jocelyn...nature sure does mess up!
Justin
Guest
Jocelyn if they produce Testosterone they are Testes. Testes are not Ovaries.
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
All very fascinating K77 and very well written. What you have done is highlight the grey areas in all this. The IAAF have set a certain levels of testerone permitted by all competitors whether male or female. Of course the levels for females are much lower. Now if Semenya exceeds that whether due to medical condition or by chemical means as with the East Germans and Kratochvilova then it is not permitted. All women have internal testes. They are called ovaries and they produce other hormones. Nature has a way of screwing this up and sometimes they produce too much testosterone instead.
Justin
Guest
ak it is irrelevant how people are brought up. If you want to compete in an event run by the IAAF you have to be able to comply with the requirements to compete in whatever category you enter. If you enter a Judo category as an under 60kG contestant ....then you are weighed (publically) to see if you comply. It is not an issue of Gender ...it is an issue of compliance.
Justin
Guest
k77 she was not tested to verifiy her Gender , she was tested to see if she qualifies to compete in Athletic events run by the IAAF under a specific category. The IAAF do not decide on an athletes Gender...only if they comply with IAAF requirements.Nowhere have I seen anything from the IAAF that says what Gender Caster is or isn't. Caster volunteered to be tested because she want to compete in these events under that category.
ak
Guest
Justin, i think you did not get my point. See had these women been 'men' then their parents would have brought them up as boys and not girls. Surely they did not bring them up as girls with the intention of making them athletic professional so that they would gain advantage on the womens' circuit. And now you tell whether it would be fair to make them compete on the mens' circuit? If not then where should they compete?
k77sujith
Guest
Hi Justin. Having segregations on the basis of weight in a sport like Boxing makes perfect sense but don't you think subjecting a woman athlete to gender-verification tests is the opposite end of the spectrum? Yes, in Boxing, we go by the rules but dont you think what we are discussing here is, even though a part of tests, is quite an issue to deal with for female athletes and much more severe and damaging?
Justin
Guest
k77....I understand that you are totally against Gender tests. So am I. Caster Semenya's Gender was not tested. This has nothing to do with Gender. Many Olympic events (and many more sports events) are run according to weight classifications. This is NOT discriminatory against fat people ....this is simply to clarifiy if someone qualifies to compete according to the rules of the event. No one wants to see a Boxer of 150kG competing against one of 48. So we have weight divisions. If we dont have these divisions then sport as we know it will be changed completely. If we remove these qualifying standards then in most events there will be NO Female contestants. None. It is not simple to draw up quidelines as to who qualifies for what .....it is made far far more difficult when people try nad claim it is related to Gender issues .....when it has nothing to do with Gender.