Semenya lands in gender trouble
Mokgadi Caster Semenya (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance runner and world champion. Semenya won gold in the women`s 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics with a time of 1:55.45 in the final.
Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, questions about Semenya`s gender were raised. Her case became one of the most "public and controversial cases of sex verification in sports".
If nothing else, Caster Semenya has earned the respect of thousands of spectators, showing amazing poise under the intense spotlight which has rightly or wrongly been glaring on her throughout the duration of these World Championships in Berlin.
The newly-crowned 800m world champion has been the subject of increased speculation over her gender after making the headlines when she set a sensational time of 1:56:72 at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius.
In doing so the 18-year-old had set the fastest time worldwide in the 800m this year and subsequently prompted the International Association of Athletics Federation to demand that the South African Athletics Federation carry out testing to ascertain the gender of Semenya.
Since July, Semenya has been caught up in a media whirlwind after claiming gold in the final of the 800m at the World Championships in Berlin. The dealing of the matter has been held in a very public domain leaving the poor athlete under the scrutiny of the world.
Mokgadi Caster Semenya (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance runner and world champion. Semenya won gold in the women`s 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics with a time of 1:55.45 in the final.
Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, questions about Semenya`s gender were raised. Her case became one of the most "public and controversial cases of sex verification in sports".
If nothing else, Caster Semenya has earned the respect of thousands of spectators, showing amazing poise under the intense spotlight which has rightly or wrongly been glaring on her throughout the duration of these World Championships in Berlin.
The newly-crowned 800m world champion has been the subject of increased speculation over her gender after making the headlines when she set a sensational time of 1:56:72 at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius.
In doing so the 18-year-old had set the fastest time worldwide in the 800m this year and subsequently prompted the International Association of Athletics Federation to demand that the South African Athletics Federation carry out testing to ascertain the gender of Semenya.
Since July, Semenya has been caught up in a media whirlwind after claiming gold in the final of the 800m at the World Championships in Berlin. The dealing of the matter has been held in a very public domain leaving the poor athlete under the scrutiny of the world.