Champion a hermaphrodite, report says
September 11, 2009
thestar.com
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SYDNEY, Australia–World 800-metre champion Caster Semenya of South Africa has male and female sexual organs, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported. The finding poses an ethical and political quandary for world track and field's ruling body.
The Herald said extensive examinations of the 18-year-old runner ordered by the International Association of Athletics Federations have shown she is technically a hermaphrodite. Medical reports indicate she has no ovaries, but has internal testes, which are producing large amounts of testosterone.
The newspaper said the IAAF was trying to contact the athlete to inform her of the results.After dominating her race at the world championships in Berlin last month, Semenya was given blood and chromosome tests as well as a gynecological examination."This is a medical issue and not a doping issue where she was deliberately cheating," said IAAF spokesman Nick Davies.
"These tests do not suggest any suspicion of deliberate misconduct but seek to assess the possibility of a potential medical condition which would give Semenya an unfair advantage over her competitors. There is no automatic disqualification of results in a case like this."
The IAAF has said Semenya would probably keep her medal because the case was not related to a drug matter.
But the Herald said an alternative possibility was to award a second gold to the runner-up, Janeth Jepkosgei from Kenya. Semenya's victory was overshadowed by speculation over her appearance, deep voice and radically improved performance. The IAAF's order of a gender test caused fierce protests in South Africa and complaints it infringed her human rights.
The report shocked and angered Semenya's family, The Times of London reported on its website.
"They are crazy. It can only be jealousy that makes them say that she is a man," said the athlete's grandmother, Maphuthi Sekgale. "I raised her as a young girl and I have no doubt that she is a girl." Athletics SA president Leonard Chuene told The Times last night he was appalled at "how far people are willing to go to pull down Semenya's victory."
1 comment:
I've read this article and looked at it from both sides. One side is Semenya who has worked so hard, and has putting so much time and effort into winning this race. Along with her family that are thrilled she came out with the win. Than you have the opposing side where people think it is not fair she has won because of having both male and female organs. Even though she has been "raised" as a female realisticly she has both sides to her. To be completley honest since I have seen this on the news and I think it wouldn't have been such a big deal if she had not won at all, it sounds like it wouldn't even had been an issue at all. The IAAF is right in the sense that she didn't purposley cheat by taking steroids or do anything to try to better herself, but looking at the other females perspectives in the race it does seem a little unfair. Having a second gold runner up award seems like a nice gesture but I would want to win it all on my own. I believe Semenya should be able to keep the win, good luck to the competators next time.
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