Intersex athlete

[charlou]

hmmm ... seems this young athlete was unaware of her 'condition' and only learned of it due to testing after winning a recent race ...

Champion Athlete 'Is A Hermaphrodite'

8:44am UK, Friday September 11, 2009

Emma Hurd, Africa Correspondent
Gender tests carried out on South African athlete Caster Semenya shows the teenager is a hermaphrodite, according to reports.

Quoting an un-named source close to the case the Sydney Morning Telegraph said the 18-year-old had both male and female sex organs.

The report said the runner had internal testes that produce large amounts of testosterone, and no womb or ovaries.

The International Association of Athletics' Federations (IAAF), which ordered the tests on Semenya, has confirmed that it has received the results.

But it refused to discuss the findings.

The reports have been denied by Semenya's uncle Lesiba Rammabi who maintains the athlete is "normal, inside and out".

Caster Semenya of South Africa sits after finishing the women's 800 metres during the world athletics championships in Berlin


After the race in Berlin

The IAAF is reportedly making urgent efforts to contact Semenya who won the women's 800 metres race in Berlin.

The teenager is running a 4k race at the South African cross country championships on Saturday, her first competitive appearance since the August victory.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has insisted that it has not yet heard from the IAAF.

"This is a medical issue and not a doping issue where she was deliberately cheating," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies is quoted as saying in Australian papers.

"These tests do not suggest any suspicion of deliberate misconduct but seek to assess the possibility of a potential medical condition which would give Semenya an unfair advantage over her competitors.

"There is no automatic disqualification of results in a case like this."

IAAF sources believe Semenya would probably keep her medal because the case was not related to a drug matter.

Rather unfortunate way for her to learn about this and to have world attention drawn to it ...

I wonder in what capacity she'll now be allowed to race ...

[klr]

This controversy originally blew up just hours before the 800m final which she won easily. AFAIK, the hand of the IAAF was forced, because someone leaked the story in advance of the final, and it had to engage in damage control to contain the story. There are undoubtedly less charitable interpretations of the sequence of events, but I think the IAAF is entitled to the benefit of the doubt on this one.

It is of course a highly problematic scenario. She is not in any way responsible for whatever condition she may have, but does it give her a distinctly unfair advantage over her competitors?

[leo-rcc]

It is not new. Some athletes who have or had a medical condition where they needed medication or hormones that as a side effect aided in their performance have been a problem for many governing bodies in several sports. It is not the athletes fault they have such a condition, but it does give an unfair advantage. How do you deal with that?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It is not new. Some athletes who have or had a medical condition where they needed medication or hormones that as a side effect aided in their performance have been a problem for many governing bodies in several sports. It is not the athletes fault they have such a condition, but it does give an unfair advantage. How do you deal with that?

Sports is about one person or group winning and everybody else losing. It's inherently unfair. As much as I admire the Special Olympics' mission, the results are ludicrous.

[Horwood Beer-Master]

I have an 'unfair disadvantage' in sports - I'm shit at them!

[leo-rcc]

I rule in full contact checkers.

[RPizzle]

I rule in full contact checkers.

Supposedly, Lennox Lewis played chess before every fight.

[charlou]

Okay, so I have learned something new today. Hermaphrodism is extremely rare in humans, and is a condition where the person has both male and female reproductive organs. This athlete's condition is not hermaphrodism but another, less rare form of intersexuality. I've changed the thread title for accuracy.

[Lozzer]

Not all black people are men ffs

[Animavore]

Not all black people are men ffs

Really? I thought they were

[Lozzer]

I'm 50/50 sure in this case

[klr]

The more I hear about this, the more I am convinced that Semenya was used as a pawn by her federation, who were prepared to risk her humiliation just to get a gold medal:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8265223.stm

SA wants athletics chief 'fired'

South Africa's government has demanded that athletics chief Leonard Chuene be sacked after he admitted lying about runner Caster Semenya's gender tests.

Chuene had previously denied knowing that tests were carried out on the runner in South Africa before her 800m world title win in August.

He then expressed outrage when governing body the IAAF ordered its own tests after the Berlin championships.

Chuene, though, insisted: "I will face this head on. I won't jump ship."

SA deputy sports minister demanded Athletics South Africa "fire" Chuene.

"If they fail to do so, they run the risk of being led by a liar," said Gert Oosthuizen.

The statement added his ministry had been shocked when Chuene admitted lying about his knowledge of tests conducted on Semenya ahead of the athletics World Championships in Berlin last month.

Information from the confidential gender tests was leaked to the press ahead of the official publication of the results.

Oosthuizen said his department had twice requested a report from Chuene on events before, during and after Berlin, but had received nothing in return.

Chuene admitted on Saturday that he had lied to the South African public about his knowledge of the tests, conducted on Semenya in Pretoria on 7 August, but said the deception had been intended to protect Semenya's confidentiality.

"Mr Chuene has not only lied to us as the ministry, but to the whole country, and this is not acceptable," the statement contended.

"We are convinced that the perpetual denial of knowledge of these tests has fuelled the continuous violation of Ms Semenya's rights and dignity, by foreign and some local media.

"We are of the view that his lies were to Ms Semenya's detriment."

South Africa's official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, joined in the calls for Chuene to leave his post.

Democratic Alliance spokesman Donald Lee said Chuene had seriously damaged South Africa's image.

Chuene apologised for his actions on Saturday, admitting: "It was an error of judgement and I could have been more forthcoming with this information, even if it was difficult."

Semenya first burst on to the world stage in July when she ran one minute, 56.72 seconds for the 800m in Bambous, smashing her previous personal best by more than seven seconds.

Though South African officials insisted no gender tests were carried out within the country, it has emerged that the IAAF asked for Semenya to be withdrawn from the South African team for the World Championships following initial tests conducted locally, before the event.

However, Athletics South Africa insisted she should run and has since said it is certain she is female, a claim backed up by her family.

Chuene said he "was not going to stop her talent because of rumours" and said conclusive test results had not been available.

"On what basis should I have withdrawn her? My only crime committed was to take a decision that she must run, and she won."

Semenya won the world title in another personal best of 1:55.45, two seconds clear of defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei.

The IAAF ordered more tests following that victory, which BBC Sport understands are likely to show Semenya has an intersex status, exhibiting both male and female sex characteristics.