Athletics writers Scott Gullan and Glen Foreman

August 19, 2009 10:00am
IS SHE a he? That is the question being asked at the world championships about South Africa's Caster Semenya.

The 18-year-old 800m gold medal favourite has burst on to the world scene in recent months, with her appearance, including obvious facial hair, and muscular build igniting speculation about her gender.

The IAAF is aware of the issue and has conducted physical tests and genetic screening to try to determine the legitimacy of Semenya's sex.

An overnight meeting of officials in Berlin was expected to determine whether she takes her place in tomorrow morning's 800m final.

Gender verification is not new to sport - particularly track and field.

The issue first arose at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when Stella Walsh (born Stanislawa Walasiewicz) won gold in the women's 100m sprint.

The Polish-born, US-raised Walsh equaled the world record at the time in all three of her races, including the final.

A Canadian report described Walsh as having "long man-like strides".

But after the runner was killed by a stray bullet at a shopping centre in Cleveland, the resulting autopsy revealed Walsh had male genitals and both male and female chromosomes - a condition known as mosaicism.

Gender testing was introduced at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and has since resulted in uncovering several cases of gender fraud.

The tests were later limited to 'on request' if an athlete filed a complaint about a competitor and, in the case of the Olympics, would be followed up by the International Olympic Committee.

IOC rules generally state athletes must compete under their gender-at-birth.

But in 2003, the IOC Medical Commission compiled the Stockholm Consensus - a document outlining the regulations for athletes who have undergone gender reassignment.

The commission found: "Any individuals undergoing sex reassignment of male to female before puberty should be regarded as girls and women (female).

"This applies as well for female to male reassignment, who should be regarded as boys and men (male).

"The group recommends that individuals undergoing sex reassignment from male to female after puberty (and the converse) be eligible for participation in female or male competitions, respectively, under the following conditions:

- Surgical anatomical changes have been completed, including external Instruments changes and gonadectomy.

- Legal recognition of their assigned sex has been conferred by the appropriate official authorities.

- Hormonal therapy appropriate for the assigned sex has been administered in a verifiable manner and for a sufficient length of time to minimise gender-related advantages in sport competitions."

Semenya announced her arrival at last month's African junior titles, running 1min 56.72sec, which was more than seven seconds faster than her best the previous year.

Semenya, who hails from a remote part of the Limpopo province, clocked 1:58.66 to win her semi-finals yesterday, relegating Kenyan world champion Janeth Jepkosgei to third.

Women fight for final spots
Jelimo's hopes of adding world gold ended here on Monday as she pulled up in her semi-final at the world championships.

The 19-year-old - who carried all before her last year including a stunning victory in the Olympic final in Beijing - had complained after Sunday's first round heat of having a problem with her ankle as a cause of being spiked.

She was never going well on Monday and finally gave up the ghost down the back stretch of the second and final lap.

Her compatriot and Olympic silver medalist Janeth Jepkosgei failed to win her semi-final, and was fortunate to progress as one of the two fastest losers after easing up far too soon before the line and being edged out of second by Great Britain's Jennifer Meadows.

Jepkosgei, the defending world champion and who ended up regretting her advice to Jelimo of moving up to her distance last year, was fortunate to still be in the competition after being brought down in her first round heat.

However, the Kenyan team made a successful appeal for her to be reinstated and she ended up in the same semi-final as the South African teenager at the centre of the incident - Caster Semenya.

The 18-year-old South African starlet made no mistake this time and led from the front to become the fastest qualifier for the final with a time of 1minute 58.66 seconds.

Semenya, who has burst onto the South African scene this year taking both the junior 800m and 1500m titles with vastly improved times, said that athletics was not the be all and end all of her life.
``Running is just a game for me,'' said Semenya, who used to play football as a left back.

``Even next year, I can stop running if I want.''

When I saw her/him . . .I was like wtf!

She is definetly build like a man no doubt,I just hope that she is a woman.She is only 18,and last year broke world junior records for 800m and 1500m.She could dominate for a long time.Like Usain Bolt,I think she is special.

That is a HIM!

RSA:

She is definetly build like a man no doubt,I just hope that she is a woman.She is only 18,and last year broke world junior records for 800m and 1500m.She could dominate for a long time.Like Usain Bolt,I think she is special.

Oh yes she is.

Tudór:

That is a HIM!

I think in football in Africa we have some of the ugliest woman,woman who plays footie in Africa m ost look like men.I mean hear in South we have this woman who won last year African Footballer of the year and I still wish someone could do a gender test on her,shes one of those people you wont want to mess with.

I could have sworn she is a He.

Heard her voice whilst she was being interviewed on eurosport after the first heat race and she sounded much like a male that have just finished drowning a bottle of paraga.

She He def needs gender test.

He is an ugly woman, but a handsome man.

he blew the field away to win Gold. up semenya

she won the 800 meters.

can we say hermaphrodite

jay bee:

I could have sworn she is a He.

Heard her voice whilst she was being interviewed on eurosport after the first heat race and she sounded much like a male that have just finished drowning a bottle of paraga.
She He def needs gender test.

ROTFL!!!! LOL!!!

Maybe s/he is intersex and if she is and was raised female, well I guess that's his/her good luck that s/he has male athletic abilities and gets to compete against women.