IAAF says Gender Test Not Likely to Affect Caster Semenya’s World Title
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said on Thursday that, even if South African Caster Semeny fails a gender test, she could keep her women’s 800 meter world title. On Wednesday it was revealed that the 18-year-old runner has taken gender tests in South Africa and is doing more in Berlin, which has put her in the middle of a storm.
However, Nick Davies, a spokesman for the IAAF, said that there is a distinction to be made about gender verification and being caught using drugs. If a competitor is found to be of a different sex than what they claim, legally it isn’t considered cheating, he said. However, Davies continued that using drugs is considered cheating and an attempt to defraud, so she can’t necessarily be stripped of her medal.
Davies also revealed that the athletics federation of South Africa wasn’t impressed with how the matter was handled, saying there have been frank and heated talks, and the federation believes she hasn’t done anything wrong and was eligible to run. He added that any decision will be made after consulting seriously and carefully with experts over the results of the tests, which include psychological and gynecological tests.
There was a press conference that Semenya was suppose to attend after winning her medal, but Davies said that IAAF secretary Pierre Weiss stood in for her after they pulled her from going. He said that it’s hard enough for someone his age to field questions, but she is only 18, so they made the decision to pull her, keeping her best interests in mind.