Long distance runner Caster Semenya was ordered to take a gender test
I was extremely disturbed by the story I read that information regarding Caster Semenya, an 18-year-old track and field sensation from South Africa, was leaked claiming she was a hermaphrodite. The World Track and Field Federation requested the South African Track and Field Federation force Semenya to take a gender test, after they became suspicious of the large amount of time she shaved off her 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs in a short period at the World Championships, as well as her athletic build. She won the 800-meter run in 1 minute, 55.45 seconds, 2.45 seconds ahead of the second place finisher.
After tests were conducted the Australian media came out with leaked information they said they obtained that showed Semenya had an above average amount of testosterone and no ovaries or womb. Obviously, this would give her an unfair advantage over other women and puts cheating in the forefront of people’s minds.
International Association of Athletics Federations, who conducted the tests, have refused to confirm or deny the reports, only saying the tests are inconclusive at this point. IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said the tests are a medical issue, not a cheating issue, and will address the results as so. But such leaked information has been so damaging to Semenya that she has gone into hiding and cancelled any appearances or interviews. She pulled out of the 1,500 final and has gone into trauma counselling. Her family claimed no knowledge of her gender being anything other than female.
“I wish they would leave my daughter alone. She is my little girl. I raised her and I have never doubted her gender. She is a woman and I can repeat that a million times,” Jacob Semenya, Semenya’s father, told a Sowetan newspaper.
South African politicians have made their disgust known at the way the situation has been handled, and said should Semenya be faced with any repercussions such as a ban from track and field or a strip of the medal, a “third world war” would ensue.
Quite Frankly, I have to agree. What the media and athletic bodies have done to this poor girl is astonishing. Whether the leaked results are true or not is beside the point. This is an 18-year-old young girl that has been exploited all over the world, through no fault of her own. It’s because of careless selfish institutions that this girl is in “trauma counselling”.
This is an issue that should have been handled out of the public eye. It definitely shouldn’t have happened at a world championships. Many South African politicians have blamed the South African Athletics body for not foreseeing this issue sooner. They have called the governing body “cold and callous” for acting solely in pursuit of medals, letting her compete like they didn’t notice anything may be an issue. If the World Track and Field Federation took issue with Semenya’s feminity, surely the South African Track and Field Federation had to have raised some eyebrows. This could have saved Semenya a lot of embarrassment. By testing her or talking about the issue with her sooner, they could have saved the World Track and Field Federation from making this their business putting it on a global spectrum.
I’m not sure I disagree that these tests should have been carried out, as anything that could give an athlete an unfair advantage over another should be looked at under a closer eye. But the way this was handled has probably scarred this poor girl for life. I wouldn’t doubt if she never competed in track and field again. Not only has her hard work and training been compromised but now her personal reputation has been damaged forever.
Not only should the South African Athletic Federation be blamed for their negligence in protecting Semenya, but the Austrialian media should also be disgusted with their actions violating this girl’s privacy in pursuit of breaking news. Haven’t they heard of sensitivity? Of protecting someone’s privacy? The fact that she is an 18-year-old college student should have been enough for the Australian media to step back and act humanly. Seriously, what was gained by publishing that story?
Once tests are more conclusive and the IAAF has decided what to do with results, then the media then could have reported the story. Sometimes, people need to realize that athletes are human beings just like the rest of us.
I really feel for Semenya, and only hope that she can bounce back from this exploitation. As a female athlete I always hate to see other female athletes under scrutiny. I only hope she isn’t stripped of any of her medals or banned from competing.
