audio link to interview with the journo who broke the Semenya intersex story. click on “audio”
Let’s all watch the attacks and stereotypes here please.
The question here- and the only question is: Should she be, or have been allowed to compete?
I don’t understand why the old chromosome test was removed. What was intended to replace it? Is this nightmare not the natural outcome of political correctness gone amok leaving only public warfare?
There was considerable discussion over last year’s winner that was never addressed. Did that have any bearing on this year’s case?What will be the trend going forward? Will federations go out on scavenger hunts looking for physical types that can win in a few months of training over girls who’ve trained a lifetime? What happens when this extends beyond the 800m alone?
Damn so she cant run because of something she was born with. Its not her fault. She cant run with the men so I guess her career is over.
I can see the legal argument stating that she isn’t male, so therefore she can only be the other, a woman.
Vibes I got from the news tonight was why pick on this kid other sports don’t pick on theirs.
There are two issues here why…
- Domination
- Future results/records
If she is allowed to continue competing, (after having improved her PB by 16 sec. in a year and winning the title convincingly), will her “condition” allow her to continue improving at much greater rate than other woman, and how IAAF will handle/cop with/justify/act/explain to public (after having learned all about this case) that they are behind someone who may be breaking WRs easier than Bolt but with an advantage while at the same time vigorously defending their standpoint on performance enhancing accessories!
What if all other competitors say: we all will run once we have balls too! And refuse to compete if CS is in the race with them?
Remove them, undergo HR therapy and continue running, I say.
For the record, kk1, and CF, my previous remark was not targeting any particular ethnic group, rather I used it to point out that it is easier to scream - it is because you are antisemitic, racist, sexist, alcoholic, homophobic or a sprinter - (as the Sport Minister did when blamed IAAF for racism and sexism) than rationally discuss the matter, find a solution, and in an orderly and civilised fashion deal with the matter.
The Minister threatened with a war! I know he was no different to Damir Dokic who made stupid threats towards an Aussie diplomat and that his “war” was rhetorical stunt but being a minister you should act like one, especially when dealing with sensitive issues. Humans need to evolve further, or better, we need to grow up.
This story depends on whose ox gets gored. What if this scenario affected the 400m rather than the 800m, where primarily other Africans were were disadvantaged? Would we hear a different level of outcry?
No no. There are certainly not only two genders. Many people, particularly from Southern Africa are born intergender.
Because of my involvement with Athletics South Africa and the sensitivity of the situation and the farce in RSA about this I will not say much except that we warned the federation 3 years ago about Semenya’s gender. They chose to ignore.
And I would say that’s where the majority culpability rests - with Athletics SA. They tried to con the world and they have been exposed, but to date the victim is Semenya.
Do you think Caster knew she was “more than a woman”? Surely she must always have known she had superior strength, speed and endurance just from her experiences in the school playground.
Not necessarily, here she is a year ago when her PB was 2.08
I have to say that her training would have changed dramatically from the WJC to now as she was taken into the national high performance centre shortly after the WJC. Her training would have become much more professional in terms of S&C, nutrition etc. The support she gets there is excellent and the S&C is with RSA’s best strenth coach. What the training for the 800m is concerned I can’t think that that changed much as she has had the same coach for a while.
In the video there is a clear difference in her physical attributes to what she looks like today. She looked like she did in the video since the first time I saw her at the age of 15.
I really feel for her as she is a nice girl. Yet, if most of us had a girl that could produce so much testosterone and no estrogen we’d also be able to develope such strength and speed.
Hello,
First time poster. I have enjoyed reading these threads for awhile now!
Regarding the Caster Semanya situation then it is a very delicate matter. On the one hand we have a person who identifies with their female side and who was raised as a girl. Conversely, we have a sport whereby the rules dictate the parameters of what is female and what is not.
I think it is unfortunate that Caster Semanya will get ‘hurt’ by all of this. I feel she has been somewhat let down by her own South African authorities and to an extent the IAAF who aired her dirty laundry in public before they should have.
However, Caster Semanya has an innate, genetic advantage over her fellow athletes in as much as she has 3 times the testosterone levels in her body. Further, she was born a haemaphrodite which further consolidates the idea that her gender has the advantages that a masculine disposition brings.
I do feel it is unfair for her to compete and I felt sorry for the other women in the 800m race. I also think it is unfair to say anyone questioning it is racist - that is an appalling way to try and suffocate people with ‘truths’ to tell. We have seen similar cases throughout history where white and Asian athletes have been banned for their questionable gender status.
Anyway, just some thoughts!
She may be a hermaphrodite but that’s still one rung below Kratochvilova on the man-ladder…
I don’t agree. Kratochvilova was a sprinter who ran 800m (twice) once as a training run breaking the world record and a second time to win the World Champs. Her times for 100m and 200m were world class, very low 11 and 22’s. Obviously her 400m pedigree speaks for itself. She trainied as a sprinter and hence the physical attributes. If compared to the other female sprinters of the time she does not look out of place. Even by todays standards if you compare her to some of the Jamaican sprinters.
If you train for the 800m and 1500m on the other hand, you will be hard pressed to be able to have so much muscle. If Semenya trainied for the 400m and 800m, then maybe.
Actually, Jarmila Kratochvilova’s personal best over 200m was 21.9!
It’s bloody Allan Wells with a perm 
Lol.
I personally think she looks more like Roger Daltrey!
Maybe, but her voice was much deeper.
Actually, I bumped into Jarmila at Gothenburg 1995 and you wouldn’t have know she was ever an athlete. She lost all that definition and muscle mass and so had softened completely. Amazing reversal abck to what we think of as femininity… she was doing a radio coverage of the worlds at that time.
South Africa turn on own over Caster Semenya
By Mike Hurst
From: The Daily Telegraph
September 15, 2009 12:00AM
Gender misfit … Caster Semenya. Source: AP
ATHLETICS South Africa bosses are now squirming under the same international spotlight to which they cruelly exposed their gender misfit Caster Semenya.
National head coach Wilfred Daniels, who recently resigned from ASA over his role in duping Semenya into submitting to sex tests in early August, yesterday blasted officials for casting Caster to the wolves.
"All Athletics South Africa cared about was getting medals … they never thought about what they were doing to Caster,’’ Daniels said.
In a world exclusive, The Daily Telegraph revealed last Friday that 800m world champion Semenya was a hermaphrodite, or intersex person, who has internal testes but no womb or ovaries.
Daniels was speaking in response to comments from Phiwe Tsholetsane, ASA’s manager of events, marketing and communications who is also Semenya’s self-appointed manager.
Tsholetsane told South Africa’s The Star newspaper: "Our constitution does not recognise gender verification … how could we have stopped her from competing? Our mandate was to come back with medals … how would we have explained not allowing Caster to run to the minister [of sport]?
"If there are other Casters out there, we will also let them run.’’
Daniels said Tsholetsane’s comments were symptomatic of "a win-at-all-costs mentality that has destroyed a young woman’s life’’.