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Semenya Cleared to Return to Track Immediately

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Jul 6th 2010 2:04PM
Filed under: Other Sports, Women's Sports

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Semenya Cleared to Return to Track Immediately

After close to a year of investigations, Caster Semenya, the South African runner who was subjected to gender tests to see if she could continue to compete as a woman, is now allowed to begin competing as a woman once again. The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) released a statement on its website, saying that the investigation is complete and Semenya is cleared to compete:
"The process initiated in 2009 in the case of Caster Semenya (RSA) has now been completed," the statement reads. "The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect. Please note that the medical details of the case remain confidential and the IAAF will make no further comment on the matter."
Although there wasn't any official information released on the results of the testing, there were rumors that Semenya did have physical male traits and could even possibly be a hermaphrodite. The family denied all of those rumors and said that Semenya is 100 percent female.


"I am thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me," Semenya said in a statement.

Investigations began after Semenya dominated the 800-meter run at the World Championships in Berlin back in August 2009.

It's hard not to feel for Semenya, a 19-year old athlete, in such an embarrassing, humiliating and heartbreaking situation. At the same time, however, the IAAF has to make sure the competition is fair for the other women who train and work just as hard to compete. When Semenya destroyed the competition out of nowhere during the World Championships, with such a muscular build, the IAAF had no choice but to investigate.

Was it fair? On the IAAF's part, yes, it was fair. Semenya, though, had to deal with incessant questions from the media about her gender, when she probably thought she was just a normal teenage girl who just happened to have the gift of being able to run fast.

A report that was never officially confirmed said that Semenya had no womb or ovaries but had internal testes, which produced testosterone.

If that isn't humiliating, what is?

Now that the IAAF confirms what Semenya and her family have been saying all along, she can now proudly represent South Africa in world games and most likely in the 2012 Olympics in England.

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