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Caster Semenya

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Caster Semenya
Personal information
NationalitySouth African
Born (1991-01-07) 7 January 1991 (age 33)
Pietersburg (now Polokwane)
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
SportRunning
Event(s)800 metres, 1500 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800m: 1:55.45
1500m: 4:08.01
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  South Africa
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Berlin 800 m
Silver medal – second place 2011 Daegu 800 m

Mokgadi Caster Semenya (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance runner and world champion.[1][2] Semenya won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 1:55.45 in the final.

Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, it was announced that she had been subjected to "gender testing".[2] She was withdrawn from international competition until 6 July 2010 when the IAAF cleared her to return to competition.[3][4] In 2010, the British magazine New Statesman included Semenya in a list of "50 People That Matter 2010".[5]

Semenya returned to the 2011 World Championships where she achieved the silver medal in the 800 metres.

Early life and education

Semenya was born in Ga-Masehlong, a village in South Africa near Pietersburg (now Polokwane), and grew up in the village of Fairlie, "deep in South Africa's northern Limpopo province."[1][6] She has three sisters and a brother, and is said to have been a tomboy as a child.[6][7]

Semenya attended Nthema Secondary School and now attends the University of Pretoria as a sports science student.[2][8] She began running as training for soccer.[9]

Career

2008

In July Semenya participated in the 2008 World Junior Championships, and won the gold in the 800 m at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games with a time of 2:04.23.[10]

2009

In the African Junior Championships Semenya won both the 800 m and 1500 m races with the times of 1:56.72 and 4:08.01 respectively.[11][12] With that race she improved her 800 m personal best by seven seconds in less than nine months, including four seconds in that race alone.[2][13] The 800 m time was the world leading time in 2009 at that date.[13] It was also a national record and a championship record. Semenya simultaneously beat the Senior and Junior South African records held by Zelda Pretorius at 1:58.85, and Zola Budd at 2:00.90, respectively.[14]

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) says it was "obliged to investigate" after she made improvements of 25 seconds at 1500 m and eight seconds at 800 m – "the sort of dramatic breakthroughs that usually arouse suspicion of drug use."[15] The IAAF also asked Semenya to undergo a gender test after the win.[16][note 1] News that the IAAF requested the test broke three hours before the 2009 World Championships 800 m final.[13] IAAF president Lamine Diack stated, "There was a leak of confidentiality at some point and this led to some insensitive reactions."[17]

In August Semenya won gold in the 800 metres at the World Championships with a time of 1:55.45 in the final, again setting the fastest time of the year.[18]

Gender test

Following her victory at the world championships, questions were raised about her gender.[2][13][19][20]

The IAAF's handling of the case spurred many negative reactions. A number of athletes, including retired sprinter Michael Johnson, criticized the organization for its response to the incident.[16][21] Prominent South African civic leaders, commentators, politicians, and activists characterized the controversy as racist, as well as an affront to Semenya's privacy and human rights.[22][23] The IAAF said it only made the test public after it had already been reported in the media, denying charges of racism and expressing regret about "the allegations being made about the reasons for which these tests are being conducted."[15][24] The federation also explained that the motivation for the test was not suspected cheating but a desire to determine whether she had a "rare medical condition" giving her an unfair competitive advantage.[25] The president of the IAAF stated that the case could have been handled with more sensitivity.[26] In an interview with South African magazine YOU Semenya stated, "God made me the way I am and I accept myself." She also took part in a makeover with the magazine.[27]

On 7 September 2009, Wilfred Daniels, Semenya's coach with Athletics South Africa (ASA), resigned because he felt that ASA "did not advise Ms. Semenya properly". He apologized for personally having failed to protect her.[28] Athletics South Africa President Leonard Chuene admitted on 19 September 2009 to having subjected Semenya to gender tests. He had previously lied to Semenya about the purpose of the tests and to others about having performed the tests. He ignored a request from ASA team doctor Harold Adams to withdraw Semenya from the world championships over concerns about the need to keep her medical records confidential.[29] On the recommendation of South Africa's Minister for Sport and Recreation, Makhenkesi Stofile, Semenya retained the legal firm Dewey & LeBoeuf who are acting pro bono "to make certain that her civil and legal rights and dignity as a person are fully protected."[30][31][32] Following the furore over her gender, Semenya received great support within South Africa,[16][21] to the extent of being called a cause célèbre.[23]

In November 2009 South Africa's sports ministry issued a statement that Semenya had reached an agreement with the IAAF to keep her medal and the prize money.[33] The ministry did not say if she would be allowed to compete as a woman but they did note that the IAAF's threshold for when a female is considered ineligible to compete as a woman is unclear.[33] In December 2009 Track and Field News voted Semenya the Number One Women's 800 metre runner of the year.[34]

2010

Semenya on the 2010 Diamond League circuit

In March 2010 she was denied the opportunity to compete in the local Yellow Pages Series V Track and Field event in Stellenbosch, South Africa, because the IAAF had yet to release its findings from her gender test.[35]

On 6 July, the IAAF cleared Semenya to return to international competition. The results of the gender tests, however, will not be released for privacy reasons.[3] She returned to competition nine days later winning two minor races in Finland.[36] On August 22, 2010, running on the same track as her World Championship victory, Semenya started slowly but finished strongly, dipping under 2:00 for the first time since the controversy, while winning the ISTAF meet in Berlin.[37]

Not being on full form, she did not enter the World Junior Championships or the African Championships, both held in July 2010, and opted to target the Commonwealth Games to be held in October 2010.[38] She improved her season's best to 1:58.16 at the Notturna di Milano meeting in early September and returned to South Africa to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.[39] Eventually, she was forced to skip the games due to injury.[40]

In September, the British magazine New Statesman included Semenya in its annual list of "50 People That Matter" for unintentionally instigating "an international and often ill-tempered debate on gender politics, feminism, and race, becoming an inspiration to gender campaigners around the world."[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The IAAF ceased compulsory tests in 1992 but retains the right to test athletes. Scant support for sex test on champion athlete New Scientist Gender verification was dropped from Olympic sports in 1999 as the issue was delicate and scientifically complicated. The verification involves "an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist" and takes several weeks. This is not the first time the IAAF has asked for gender verification although generally the athletes maintain their privacy. "Caster Semenya faces sex test before she can claim victory" The Times, 19 August 2009

References

  1. ^ a b "Birth certificate backs SA gender". BBC News. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e Slot, Owen (19 August 2009). "Caster Semenya faces sex test before she can claim victory". London: The Times. Retrieved 20 August 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Semenya cleared to return to track immediately". Associated Press. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.[dead link]
  4. ^ Kessel, Anna (6 July 2010). "Caster Semenya may return to track this month after IAAF clearance". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Caster Semenya – 50 people that matter 2010". Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b "'she wouldn't wear dresses and sounds like a man on the phone': Caster Semenya's father on his sex-riddle daughter". Daily Mail. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Abrahamson, Alan (20 August 2009). "Caster Semenya's present and future". Universal Sports. Retrieved 30 August 2009. [dead link]
  8. ^ SAfrican in gender flap gets gold for 800 win[dead link] 22 August 2009, By RYAN LUCAS, Associated Press Writer
  9. ^ Prince, Chandre (29 August 2009). "Hero Caster's road to gold". The Times. Retrieved 30 August 2009.[dead link]
  10. ^ "Young SA team strikes gold". Independent Online. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  11. ^ Ouma, Mark (2 August 2009). "Nigerian Ogoegbunam completes a hat trick at Africa Junior Championships". AfricanAthletics.org. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  12. ^ Ouma, Mark (31 July 2009). "South African teen Semenya stuns with 1:56.72 800m World lead in Bambous — African junior champs, Day 2". IAAF. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  13. ^ a b c d Tom Fordyce (19 August 2009). "Semenya left stranded by storm". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  14. ^ South African teen Semenya stuns with 1:56.72 800m World lead in Bambous – African junior champs, Day 2 IAAF, 31 July 2009
  15. ^ a b Caster Semenya row: 'Who are white people to question the makeup of an African girl? It is racism': The decision to subject the gold medal-winning athlete Caster Semenya to sex tests over claims Caster is a man has provoked outrage in her village and throughout South Africa David Smith, The Observer, 23 August 2009
  16. ^ a b c "Semenya dismissive of gender row". BBC Sport. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  17. ^ Hart, Simon (24 August 2009). "World Athletics: Caster Semenya tests 'show high testosterone levels'". London: The Times. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  18. ^ "800 Metres Women Final Results" (PDF). 19 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  19. ^ Women's world champion Semenya faces gender test CNN, 20 August 2009
  20. ^ "Semenya told to take gender test". BBC Sport. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  21. ^ a b "South African unite behind gender row athlete". BBC News. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  22. ^ Dixon, Robyn (26 August 2009). "Caster Semenya, South African runner subjected to gender test, gets tumultuous welcome home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 August 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ a b Sawer, Patrick; Berger, Sebastian (23 August 2009). "Gender row over Caster Semenya makes athlete into a South African cause celebre". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 August 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ SA to take up Semenya case with UN[dead link] The Times SA, 21 August 2009
  25. ^ "SA fury over athlete gender test". BBC Sport. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  26. ^ "New twist in Semenya gender saga". BBC Sport. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  27. ^ "Makeover for SA gender-row runner". BBC News. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  28. ^ "S. Africa gender row coach resigns". BBC News. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  29. ^ Serena Chaudhry (19 September 2009). "South Africa athletics chief admits lying about Semenya tests". Reuters. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  30. ^ Dewey takes up Semenya case in IAAF dispute – Legalweek Magazine
  31. ^ Dewey & LeBoeuf to advise Caster Semenya[dead link] – Times Online
  32. ^ Dewey & LeBoeuf Retained to Protect Rights of South African Runner Caster Semenya – press release from Dewey & LeBoeuf.
  33. ^ a b Jere Longman "South African Runner’s Sex-Verification Result Won’t Be Public" New York Times, 19 November 2009
  34. ^ Track and Field News, 22 December 2009 Vol 8 Number 59
  35. ^ "Semenya announces return to competitive running". NBC Sports. Retrieved 30 March 2010.[dead link]
  36. ^ Yahoo News, July 18, 2010: Semenya easily wins again in Finland[dead link]
  37. ^ AP article[dead link]
  38. ^ CBC, July 21, 2010: Semenya has eyes on Commonwealth Games
  39. ^ Sampaolo, Diego (2010-09-10). Howe, Semenya, and Yenew highlight in Milan. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-09-10.
  40. ^ The Hindu, September 29, 2010: Injured Semenya pulls out of Commonwealth Games

External links

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