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Home › Relationships

Caster Semenya, Gender Testing | 08/26/2009 10:00 am

Gender Doubts Over South African Running Champion Caster Semenya – Will Her Gold Medal Be Taken Away? (Video)

Eight-hundred-meter gold-medal champion is undergoing scrutiny after international sports group says she should submit to gender testing to make sure she’s a woman.
By The Staff at wowOwow.com
YouTube

Could there be anything more humiliating than winning a gold medal in a world-racing championship — and then facing the threat of having it taken away because of gender doubts?

That’s exactly what 18-year-old Caster Semenya is going through. The South African runner returned home Tuesday to a warm welcome after the International Assn. of Athletics Federations and her rivals questioned her gender when she won the gold in the women’s 800-meter world championship in Berlin last week. The IAAF wants Semenya to undergo gender testing since she has a deep voice, a muscular body and high testosterone levels. The group wants to make sure she doesn’t have a genetic advantage. South African President Jacob Zuma is even up in arms, saying she represents women’s power and achievement. Thousands of her countrypeople are also protesting, proud of their champion. Gender organizations including Gender Links and People Opposing Women Abuse were also at the airport to greet her.

The IAAF and news media have been slammed by South Africans for ruining what should be a celebratory moment for Semenya and her fellow runners.

"Women still have a lot to fight for … This is a case of sexism, it’s surprising this kind of barbaric act is coming from a so-called civilized society," said Sandile Phakathi, from the SA Union of Students.

"Caster is a girl, I was the midwife and I cleaned her up myself the minute my sister’s daughter-in-law delivered her, so if anyone should know her sex, it’s me," said Martina Mpati, Semenya’s great aunt, who helped deliver Caster when she was a baby. 

Watch the latest BBC video on Semenya’s ordeal below:

Read more about: 800-Meter, Athletics, Caster Semenya, Gender Testing, Gold Medal, News, South AFrica, Video, World

21 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

T. BYNUM
I think it is an insult to question her gender. Is this a race thing, I have seen others ove the years that look very masculine but this gender testing has not come up.  If it is to be done then get it over with.  In this day and age it only takes a minute.  This is being dragged out too long.  
By T. BYNUM on 08/26/2009 10:34 am
Grande Camper
Disgrace!  I can’t imagine what this girl is going through.
By Grande Camper on 08/26/2009 10:50 am
R.J.B. Reed

I don’t think it’s a race thing.  A decade ago, when I was attempting to make the olympic team in judo, many girls would have a bar-bodies test done to determine gender.  Obviously what she is going through is much more intensive than a blood test, but it’s not all that unusual.  Unfortunately, some unscrupulous people have both slipped men into women’s sports, or they have given a tremendous amount of testosterone for better performance.

 That being said, I certainly do feel for her. 

By R.J.B. Reed on 08/27/2009 1:44 pm
Eldebbo C
I have to admit, after watching this video, I am a little confused myself. If, by chance, Caster was born with both male and female genital, and her family chose for her to live like a girl, where would that leave this situation? or… say she was born a guy, but has chose at some point to be a girl. I think it should be addressed. Think of how unfair it would be to the rest of the competitor’s, say, one of the above situations are true.
By Eldebbo C on 08/26/2009 11:00 am
Belinda Joy

There is nothing about this person that is even remotely female, so I believe it is fair to ask for gender testing. The medal is for the Women’s 800 meter. So the winner of the medal should be a woman. We would be having the same conversation if a person with full breasts, a high pitched voice, hips and 3 times the level of estrogen had won the men’s 800 meter race.

I think it’s fair to ask given how masculine this person is.

By Belinda Joy on 08/26/2009 11:35 am
Rachel F
I agree, Belinda; the only picture I have ever seen where this person looks feminine is the one beginning this article. The competition is a woman’s competition, and it’s only fair to verify that the participants are indeed women when doubt arises. And, if Caster is a female, the longer the test is disputed and delayed, the more embarrassment involved.
By Rachel F on 08/26/2009 12:11 pm
rocky rocky
But Belinda, is it fair to ask her to prove her gender AFTER she won the race? That doesn’t seem right to me. It strikes me as somewhat sour and mean. Don’t they have qualifying matches or have to meet certain qualifications way before the race itself is held? 
By rocky rocky on 08/26/2009 6:12 pm
Belinda Joy

You’re 100% correct Rocky, they should have brought up the questions about this person’s gender BEFORE they qualified "her" for the race.

I think it is ridiculous that they didn’t. It would be different if we were talking about someone with a slightly masculine appearance or persona. However we’re not, this person has truly masculine attributes. It has to be an insult if "she" really is a "she" to have people question her sexuality. Which is why she needs to cooperate to end the confusion. It should take all of a few seconds to determine the truth and all of this can be put to rest.

By Belinda Joy on 08/26/2009 6:25 pm
F P

Yes it is fair—if she like the East German and Russian women back in the 70’s and 80’s were required to be tested so should she. It’s only fair—I see no difference between testing her for gender than testing for steroids and other chemicals in other athletes—an unfair advantage is still unfair and the IOOC has set up qualifications and testing exactly for this purpose.  So has the international cycling community.  Other sports should use these qualifications and testing too, esp. major professional sports, IMO.

By F P on 08/27/2009 7:40 am
rocky rocky
Hi FP. I suppose qualifying and testing athletes according to law is just fine. However, IMO it would make more sense to qualify and test an athlete before the event, not after. Is there really an argument about that?
By rocky rocky on 08/27/2009 10:01 am
F P
Agreed Rocky :-)
By F P on 08/27/2009 10:35 am
R.J.B. Reed
It costs more money to test prior to the race because at that point you have to test everyone. 
By R.J.B. Reed on 08/27/2009 1:49 pm
R.J.B. Reed
Generally one takes all the tests after winning.  For instance, in judo, a person usually goes from the winners stand directly to the drug testing station.  Part of the reason they do this is for cost savings.  If someone isn’t winning, no one really cares if they’re cheating.  So instead of spending a lot of money testing everyone, they test the winners.  (And maybe a few people drawn at random.)
By R.J.B. Reed on 08/27/2009 1:47 pm
rocky rocky
Interesting, RJB. Thank you. 
By rocky rocky on 08/27/2009 2:51 pm
Laura Ward
Hard to tell if she’s a woman or a man by looking or listening to her. She seems in the middle, like an effeminate man. If she ends up being a woman, this is most insulting to her. She walks like a woman.
By Laura Ward on 08/26/2009 1:38 pm
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