Berlin 2009 - Semenya nearly refused medal

Eurosport - Fri, 21 Aug 21:59:00 2009

South African 800 metre world champion Caster Semenya nearly boycotted the awards ceremony after feeling devastated by the row over her gender.

ATHLETICS Caster Semenya World Championships Berlin 2009 - 0

"She said she did not want to go on the podium, but I told her she must," Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene told The Times newspaper.

"She is not rejoicing. She (didn't) want the medal," said Chuene, who presented Semenya with the gold medal on Thursday.

"She told me: 'No one ever said I was not a girl, but here (in Berlin) I am not. I am not a boy. Why did you bring me here? You should have left me in my village at home'."

Semenya's family said they were angered at the IAAF's decision to conduct gender tests on their 18-year-old daughter.

"We won't accept her having to undergo those tests, and we agree with her - she should (have) rejected the medal. We won't allow our daughter to be disgraced," her father Jacob told The Times.

"I feel so proud of my daughter. The talk that they want to examine her, it won't happen while I'm alive," her mother Dorcus said.

"She's a woman. I gave birth to her. They must give what my daughter deserves. She won that medal," she told the paper.

The popular Sowetan tabloid published a copy of Semenya's birth certificate, listing her sex as female, on its front page under the headline "She's a girl" with a picture of a young Semenya towering over a group of school friends.

In an editorial "Shush, you silly twerps", the popular tabloid hit out at Semenya's detractors, calling it a "clearly contrived controversy".

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said in Berlin that she could keep her medal even if a battery of tests ruled against her.

"Legally if you are found to be of a different sex to that declared that is not cheating," said Davies.

"So it is not necessarily the case that she would be stripped of her medal. It is a very delicate matter."

The weekly Mail&Guardian said Athletics South Africa had refused to say if it has run gender tests on Semenya and has denied being asked by IAAF three weeks before Berlin to run tests.

But South African media also blamed Chuene and Athletics South Africa for failing to prep Semenya for the international spotlight and to have defused the debate before it went public.

"If Semenya has been let down, it is by the professionals whose job it is to look after her career - from her trainers and managers to Athletics South Africa. Even Semenya's coach says that she has often been mistaken for a man," the Mail&Guardian said.

"They could not have failed to see this coming. But they have failed miserably in not settling the issue by taking the appropriate steps before it blew up into the traumatic controversy it is now."

The regional Daily Dispatch newspaper also accused athletics authorities of double standards.

"It would seem it is acceptable for masculine-looking women to compete as long as they lose," the paper said. "When they win they must have a 'gender test'."

Chuene refused to accept blame for the controversy, saying the association never had reason to doubt her gender

"The responsibility of the federation is to train children and take them to the championships," Chuene told the SAPA news agency.

"When a child is born, the parents don't take them for tests to find out if it is a boy or a girl, they simply look."

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AFP

Comment 8 - 27 of 27

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  1. Caster was born a female and that's that. She won­ that gold medal fair and square. Let her be.
    Good luck­ my dear in this world we need all we can get.

    From glr152, on Sat 12 Sep 9:06PM

  2. it is a racial issue. how many manly looking women of­ other races have been allowed to compete with out­ question?

    From shay, on Sat 12 Sep 6:03PM

  3. I have no idea why people think this is a racial thing,­ its got nothing to do with race, not reference to her­ race or colour at all, so those people who immediately­ come to that conclusion have problems reading or maybe­ racial problems themselves.

    From Brenda, on Sat 12 Sep 3:26PM

  4. Juwana Mann?

    From cj_souvenir, on Sat 12 Sep 8:47AM

  5. LMAO AT ALL THE @#$% THINKING HER CHEATING WAS OK

    From William, on Sat 12 Sep 3:52AM

  6. 1 more thing. I know i've been going on and on but­ has anyone even thought of the possibility that because­ she's in training her body is naturally producing­ more testosterone and that coupled with puberty &­ her age is making her more ummm for lack of a more­ sensitive term... masculine. think about it though.­ even if she(and everyone else in her village) has­ always considered Caster S. a girl now that she's­ being more aggressive may have triggered a hormonal­ change within her system the she never even expected.

    From lullaby357, on Fri 11 Sep 11:58PM

  7. and to you:
    Shame on you, the west, you have acted­ disgracefully.­ It doesn't surprise me, you people­ have been filled­ with hatred and bitterness despite­ the atrocities you­ have commited on other races­ especially black people.(From Hayfron B, on Sat 22 Aug­ 6:13AM)
    I'm from the US and even though a lot of­ ppl here are ignorant, violent and ooohh so much more­ not all of them are. human beings in general are a­ pathetic & parasitic race no matter of color,­ religion, gender etc..... and you just put yourself in­ that catagory with the above comment. I am milky white­ and I can trace my african american ancestry yet­ i'm not supposed to say th N word because of the­ color of my skin yet darker skinned ppl who don't­ know anything about the issue get rant & sing it­ out loud. can we say hyopcrite.

    From lullaby357, on Fri 11 Sep 11:49PM

  8. THE GENDER REVOLUTION IS HERE
    I Support Caster­ Semeny

    I'll be putting that on a T-shirt and­ wearing it proudly so should you

    From lullaby357, on Fri 11 Sep 11:36PM

  9. oh & ps all the @#$% about her time improvement­ doesn't impress me at all. she was fast enough to­ get noticed from her small village and with a little­ professional training she got even faster, doesn't­ that happen all the time

    From lullaby357, on Fri 11 Sep 11:31PM

  10. what is going to happen when more transgendered ppl­ start showing up to try outs?

    This is an outright­ abuse.she's only 18! Something­ should be done asap­ to restore her self confidence and­ pride lest she­ commits suicide then we'll all­ crown her a martyr!­ (From Charles, on Fri 28 Aug 1:50AM)
    that's xactly­ what's going on right now but when this is all over­ she will not just have the gold she will have a solid­ place in world history. there are ppl out there with­ both genders, does that mean the only place society has­ for them is side shows or drag stages? grow up and get­ an education. it doesn't matter if there's a­ vine swinging in front of your cave door or not­ it's about what you choose and who you see yourself­ as not what label anyone else has stuck on you because­ they're too stupid or envious to listen or even see­ the truth.
    i propose all transgendered ppl boycott or­ something. flood the athletic world with your beauty­ and skill. yes ppl maybe the day has finally come where­ male or female is no longer the end of that question,­ so get over it and move aside for the next­ generation!
    i just stumbled upon this issue but it­ burns me up! the test given to her should have been­ given before she won in fact the test should be given­ to all, i've seen some pretty fem looking guys­ runnin'round out there. make it part of the­ standard pre game testing routine, not this, you are­ wrong for putting her through all of this' she­ should be on top of the world right now not cuddled in­ a dark corner in her hotel room crying,shame on all of­ you, gladly the last laugh will be hers it's just­ too bad she can't see that right now. Caster S. try­ to hang in there hon, lots of ppl are on your side.YOU­ ARE CHANGING THE WORLD RIGHT NOW Caster Semenya that­ takes time and unfortunately lots pain.

    From lullaby357, on Fri 11 Sep 11:30PM

  11. i think its really harsh that theyre um... no i do!­ hahahaha stop it mmhmm haaa if i was a boy bt i was­ actually a girl hehe i wudnt want everyone to know­ hahaehehe haa (sucks thumb) just stop now! I LIKE IT.­ no,, dont write that.. just send it now. your soooo­ wuoiooo hAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    From henrydell91, on Fri 11 Sep 9:03AM

  12. IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF SOUTH AFRICA COACHES.

    From Dave A., on Tue 1 Sep 3:13AM

  13. THAT IS A LOAD OF BULL THEY TALKING A GENDER TEST THEY­ WOULD HAVE NOT TOUCHED ME EITHER AND I WOULD OF TOOK MY­ METAL. I HOPE SHE STAYS STRONG THROUGH THIS MESS THOSE­ PEOPLE ARE AHOLES IF SHE HAD LOST THEY WOULDN'T OF­ ASKED FOR NO GENDER TEST. IF THEY WANTED ONE THEY­ SHOULD OF NOT LET HER RACE OR ASKED FOR THAT INFO­ UPFRONT FROM HER TRAINERS. THEY ARE LIERS.

    From Dave A., on Tue 1 Sep 3:11AM

  14. This is an outright abuse.she's only 18! Something­ should be done asap to restore her self confidence and­ pride lest she commits suicide then we'll all­ crown her a martyr!

    From Charles, on Fri 28 Aug 1:50AM

  15. I don't think there is a racist conspiracy here;­ when you couple the woman's huge improvement in­ lowering her 800m time this year with her undoubtedly­ mannish appearance, the situation simply cannot be­ ignored. Regarding the East German women athletes of­ the 70's-80's, weren't those women­ investigated for performance-enhancing drugs?

    From warren-brian, on Mon 24 Aug 10:09PM

  16. Shame on you, the west, you have acted disgracefully.­ It doesn't surprise me, you people have been filled­ with hatred and bitterness despite the atrocities you­ have commited on other races especially black people.
    I­ mean what has this girl done to deserve such­ humiliating experience.
    I mean do you think we(Blacks)­ are that dumb? where were you when those East German­ athletes who looked more like freak shows and shewomen­ were dominating the olympics? what did we hear when­ those former communist east europe countries paraded­ freak show on the world stage? huh? nothing, nada, not­ a beep, yeah i guess they looked like one of your own­ WHITE. I can't simply count so many time athletes­ from US and the WEST who looked for like identical twin­ of Arnold Schwazerneger. Don't worry Semenya is­ here to stay and whip your lazy-bigmac-azzes , your­ athletes are lazy and not talented so you resort to­ "legalities. Shame on you.
    Caster Semenya, we­ support you against all this bitter hater. God will­ punish them.
    World Champ, Caster semenya, 18 years, go­ figure, you freaks

    From Hayfron B, on Sat 22 Aug 6:13AM

  17. This is a second incident in athletics I have ready­ about;those who remember Samkeliso Moyo from Zimbabwe­ who pretended to be a woman for years and competed with­ them and went on to compete for the country until he­ was found in the female changing rooms by some female­ athletes that he was a man after all.This never raised­ questions to the IAAF to amend their rules so that in­ case something happens they could base it on their­ constitution.The world is changing so do people,I have­ seem man being changed into women so I personally will­ be in favour of gender evalution but it has to be on­ the IAAF constitution not what they want to do to this­ poor so-called girl.

    From Noel, on Sat 22 Aug 4:41AM

  18. I think its terrible the way this girl has been treated­ by the press and authorities. They should have dealt­ with the matter behind closed doors, not on the world­ stage. I doubt she will ever want to run again.

    From Marc, on Fri 21 Aug 10:31PM

  19. She obviously has more testosterone than the average­ woman, but in her event that is an advantage. Anyone­ remember Maria Mutola? Another female african 800m­ runner who was quite 'manly' but like I say­ there are pros and cons to having an unusual physique.

    From someblokefromthepub, on Fri 21 Aug 9:26PM

  20. I feel really sorry for this girl. The coaches and­ theSouth African authorities should have sorted this­ out long before the championships rather than risk­ having her publicly discussed worldwide as a freak.­

    Whatever the results ofthe tests, I suggest - to­ discourage anything like this happening again - that­ the coaches/administrators responsible have their own­ sex adjusted by appropriate application of a machete.

    From Paul P, on Fri 21 Aug 9:15PM
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