Semenya saga: management

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LAWYER DENIES SEMENYA SUIT REPORTS

By David Martin, Press Association Sport

Caster Semenya’s lawyers have described as “nonsense” media reports they are planning to sue the International Association of Athletics Federations and Athletics South Africa for multi-million-pound sums.

A Swedish newspaper and athletics websites reported prior to Christmas that Greg Nott, her lawyer from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, intended to sue the IAAF for £75million and ASA for £11million as the world 800 metres champion’s gender row continues.

It was Nott who successfully represented double-amputee Oscar Pistorius on a pro bono basis against an IAAF decision to ban him from competing in able-bodied track events, and in particular attempting to qualify for the Olympics in Beijing last year.

Nott’s company, with the same agreement, have been representing Semenya since September and are currently negotiating with the IAAF on resolving the teenager’s future participation in athletics.

The case is almost certain to involve financial compensation but Nott categorically denied this morning, in an e-mail to Press Association Sport, that Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP had ever announced their intentions of seeking the amount of damages detailed by media sources.

“It is absolute nonsense,” Nott said. "We did not release any such statement.

“We wish Caster and her family a happy family time over this season of goodwill.”

The outcome of medical tests carried out under strict medical supervision at the request of the IAAF following Semenya’s victory in Berlin have still to be announced.

It was expected there would be a decision in late November at the last council meeting of the world athletics governing body but it was postponed as the legal deliberations on the case were still not completed.

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Semenya cannot compete until gender case is resolved
Reuters
Last updated 06:45 15/01/2010

South African runner Caster Semenya will not be allowed to compete until a resolution has been reached in her gender case, the country’s athletics association said today (NZ time).

Semenya underwent gender verification tests after she won the women’s 800 metres at the Berlin world championships last August, following a rapid improvement in her performances. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has yet to reveal the results of the tests.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) administrator Ray Mali said the 19-year-old athlete would be allowed to race only once the IAAF had cleared her.

“We can only allow her to participate in events once we get clarity from the IAAF, not at this stage,” Mali told Reuters.

Local media today quoted Semenya’s coach Michael Seme as saying she was preparing to participate in a local series event beginning on February 19.

Mali said he would push for a decision from the IAAF but until then Semenya would be restricted to training with other athletes.

Semenya’s father Jacob was also unable to confirm whether she would be competing or not.

“Whether she runs or not, only God knows,” he told Reuters.

Neither the South African federation nor the IAAF has said publicly under what circumstances Semenya would be allowed to continue to compete as a female.

Semenya and her family have maintained that she is a woman and that publicity surrounding the case has caused hardships.

South Africans reacted angrily to the case at the time and the country’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) denounced the IAAF and ASA for their handling of the sensitive matter.

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Confusion surrounds Caster Semenya’s ‘return’ to competition• ‘She will run in at least three races this year’, says coach
• Semenya’s lawyers appear to contradict Michael Seme
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Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 January 2010 20.29 GMT Article history
Caster Semenya’s coach believes she will return to competitive action. Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

Caster Semenya’s coach today indicated that the 800m world champion would return to international competition ahead of a decision by the world governing body on her eligibility, but succeeded only in sparking another swirl of confusion and speculation around her future.

Michael Seme told the Times of Johannesburg: “She will run in at least three races this year. We don’t have the fixtures yet, but we are sure she will run.”

He added: “Last year there were obviously problems and she was not able to compete in some of the big events. She received many invites after winning the world title, and even before that, but because of what happened she chose not to take part. But this year is different and she is planning to compete in some of those events.”

But a spokesman for the athlete’s lawyers later appeared to contradict those remarks, saying only: “All the parties are still in negotiations. We’re optimistic that there’s going to be a positive resolution for all parties concerned.”

Semenya, who turned 19 last week, is not formally banned from competition while the IAAF’s protracted deliberations on her case continue. She disappeared from international competition in the wake of the media frenzy that engulfed her when the IAAF ordered gender tests to be carried out on the runner hours before her victory at the world championships in Berlin in August.

It later emerged that Semenya had also undergone a gender test, without her knowledge, prior to the championships at the behest of Athletics South Africa. Its president Leonard Chuene, who had led the protests against the IAAF’s handling of the case, was suspended when he admitted lying about whether Semenya had undergone the test.

The IAAF has still to reveal the results of its tests and come to a conclusion about the athlete’s future, having earlier been frustrated in its attempts to meet Semenya. An IAAF spokesman said that it would not comment officially until its inquiry was over and declined to put a time frame on it.