
South African runner Caster Semenya's entire career appears to still be on hold. After Semenya obliterated the competition during the women's 800-meter race at last year's World Championships, officials started questioning her gender due to her deep voice and muscular build.
Semenya is still waiting gender test results ordered by the International Association of Athletics Federation, but in the meantime, it looks like some tracks meets are not letting her run. According to the Associated Press, a track meet in Stellenbosch, South Africa, refused to allow her to participate. Despite the IAAF clearing Semenya to participate in events, organizers say they prohibited her from running until the gender testing results are announced.
"The denial made by those to allow Caster to compete in last night's athletics meet in Stellenbosch was improper." Greg Nott of Johannesburg law firm Dewey and LeBoeuf, said in a statement.
Semenya, who is 19 and hasn't competed since August, missed the Yellow Pages–sponsored national championships in Durban, South Africa, and the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships earlier this month.
And it looks like the waiting game will continue, as her results won't be available until June.
Comments: (4)
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By: Dora on 4/01/2010 5:59PM
Listen, she is obviously a he, so go race with other men! I don't have any sympathy for him.
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By: meanvee on 4/02/2010 1:14AM
What does the birth certificate say?, where is the parents?, whats under them clothes? Is there any record of a sex change? what does her school records say? It can't be that hard, c'mon now.
http://www.JustWaffleMakers.com
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By: BlancaFlor on 4/02/2010 11:08PM
Caster Semenya has female genitalia.
That is why her family, & every team she competed against in High School, vouches for her feminine sex.
Apparently, she has XY chromosomes, with partial androgen insensitivity. In her body, testosterone doesn't register on the genitalia, which fall back to the feminine configuration.
But on the musculature, testosterone registers...& strengthens.
I, as a physician, would like to see Caster compete.
Intersex people have enough problems. If they can get anything good out of this situation, God Bless them.
I expect that eventually most world records will be held by intersex women...and I have no problem with that. They're working with what they got.
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By: Dora on 4/03/2010 7:00PM
How do you know about her genetalia? Isn't having more testerone than any other contender the same as someone using steroids, which gives them undue advantage over the rest. Why should she be excempt? Boys should compete with boys.
"I, as a physician, would like to see Caster compete. Intersex people have enough problems. If they can get anything good out of this situation, God Bless them."
That's nonsense. Races are just that races, not a social platform for social justice. Start a special olympics for intersex people or something.
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