Caster Semenya has removed herself a weekend race due to revelations that she failed her gender exam.
Caster’s coach, Michael Seme told the The South African Press Association that she will not take part in the 4,000 meters race during the national cross country championships in Pretoria to be held this Saturday. This is an about face from a statement earlier this week in which he said Caster would be running. His official stance is that “She is not feeling well” but it is more the case that her recent testing regarding her gender is the more likely reason.
Australian news reports claimed that gender tests have determined she has male and female sexual organs – revelations that triggered outrage in South Africa on Friday.
The International Association of Athletics Federations, which commissioned the tests has adamantly refused to confirm or deny the Australian reports. They have said that the test results won’t be revealed until November.
The Australian reports determined Caster Semenya has internal testes which means that she was unlikely aware of her condition herself. Much of the turmoil in South Africa centers on the fact that the issue should have been handled as a private matter and now the whole world is aware of the young woman’s plight.
The South African Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile expressed his dismay at the handling of the whole affair during a news conference on Friday. He maintains that Caster, a gold medalist at the world athletic championships in August, is still a female and that her lack of a womb is not concern for disqualifying her from future women’s competition.
“We think her human rights have been violated and her privacy invaded,” Stofile said. “I don’t know why she is being subjected to this.”
Semenya, who sparked curiosity because of a low voice and muscularly ripped body has dropped out of sight as of Friday.
The IAAF has said Semenya will keep her Gold medal because this case is not directly related to a doping infraction. Leonard Chuene, the president of Athletics South Africa, maintains that all he has heard from the IAAF is that the test results will be available in November.
