Is she really a HE? Women's 800m runner shrugs off gender storm to take gold



Doubt: South Africa's Caster Semenya on Monday. She is today facing claims that she is actually a man

A female runner accused of being a man tonight took gold in the 800m World Athletics Championship.

South African Caster Semenya, 18, had to take a gender test after doubts were raised about her sex.

But despite the furore, she easily took gold in the final in Berlin.



The teenage sensation has sparked controversy over her strikingly muscular physique.

Today officials at the world athletics body, the IAAF, revealed that it ordered her to take a gender test three weeks ago.



IAAF spokesman Nick Davies confirmed the tests were taking place, though he said the results would not be confirmed for several weeks.

Until the results are confirmed, there was nothing to prevent Semenya from competing in tonight's final, he said.

He added: 'At this moment in time we do not have any evidence to stop her running.'

South African athletics chiefs furiously denied the claims and stated Semenya was definitely female.

Molatelo Malehopo, general manager of Athletics South Africa, said: 'She is a female. We are completely sure about that and we wouldn't have entered her into the female competition if we had any doubts.

'We have not been absent-minded, we are very sure of her gender. We are aware of the claims that have been made but our aim at the moment is to prepare Caster for the race this evening.'

Semenya was ordered to take the test after raising suspicion during an incredible performance at a junior championship.

The teenager, from Polokwane in South Africa's Limpopo province, burst onto the running scene at last month's African Junior Championship in Mauritius where she clocked 1:56.72 in the 800 metres.

The time was the best recorded in the world so far this year by more than a second.

Mr Davies revealed that Semenya's astoundingly quick performance prompted suspicions over her gender.

Experts were concerned over the way she runs and urged the South African athletics body to test her.

A group of doctors, including an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist, have started the procedure but it is uncertain when the results will be known.

Semenya, right, is literally flying, both feet off the ground, as she crosses the finish line ahead of Jennifer Meadows (L) of Britain during the semi final on Monday night

The complex process could take several weeks to be complete.



'It would be wrong today to take a decision to withdraw an athlete,' said Mr Davies.

He added that Semenya is not being accused of cheating, and emphasised the test is not compulsory.



'This is a medical condition,' he said. 'It is nothing that she has done. There is a need to make sure rules are followed.

'We are more concerned for the person and not to make this as something that is humiliating.'

Pending the results of the test, Semenya could be disqualified from the event.



Semenya was today warming up for the final, which will see her competing against British hopes Marilyn Okoro and Jennifer Meadows.

On Sunday, Semenya nearly met with disaster as she was forced to jump over fallen Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei of Kenya during the 800m first heat

Caster recovers after the heat on Sunday night

Meanwhile, the teenager's coach told South African media she was aware of the controversy surrounding her.

Michael Seme told South Africa's News24 website: 'We understand that people will ask questions because she looks like a man. It's a natural reaction and it's only human to be curious.



'People probably have the right to ask such questions if they are in doubt.

'But I can give you the telephone numbers of her room-mates in Berlin. They have already seen she has nothing to hide.'

Gender testing was introduced at the 1966 European Track and Field Championships and first used at the Olympics during the 1968 Mexico City games.

International Olympic Committee regulations require all athletes to compete under their gender at birth.

Not first: Dora Ratjen of Vienna, jumping 1metre 70 in 1938 to break the women's high jump world record. Dora was later proven to be a man, Hermann Ratjen

Meanwhile Polish athlete Ewa Klobukowska was revealed to be a man in 1967

However, experts fear Semenya, who has competed internationally throughout her teens, should be tested to check whether she might suffer from from a rare condition in which individuals can exhibit both male and female chromosomes.

A source said: 'In a few rare individuals there is a grey area between male and female. It's possible that she falls into this bracket.

'The gender verification process takes weeks as it is extremely complex.

'If there were ever any suspicions regarding this girl, tests should have been done at the earliest opportunity to save her any embarrassment.'

If Semenya was proven to be a male she would be the latest in a string of gender fraud cases in international athletics.

One of the most famous cases saw female German athlete Dora Ratjen revealed as a man named Hermann following high jump success at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the 1938 European Championships.

The athlete later claimed he had been forced to disguise himself as a female by the Nazi government.

The first athlete to be caught after the gender tests were introduced was Polish runner Ewa Klobukowska, who took gold in the women's 4 x 100 metres relay and bronze in the 100 metres at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo.

She was later unmasked as a he after failing a chromosome test in 1967.

South African athletics fans today expressed their anger at the claims about Semenya's gender.

Dozens posted comments on newspaper websites, with some claiming the speculation was racially motivated.

One commenter, who did not leave their name, wrote: 'It just disappoints me every time that a good South African athlete comes around, there always seem to be questions.

'She looks manly, of course, but is she the only athlete who looks manly? I don't think so. Just because she has facial hair means absolutely nothing. Would they have tested her if she wasn't African?'

Another, 'Norman', added: 'What bull man! Our Caster is a woman, these European people cannot handle the fact that an African can actually be a champion in something and will always try to bring us down.'



