All hell has broken loose around the gender of the female World Champion 800m athlete Caster Semenya. There have even been unfortunate accusations of racism and both political parties, youth movements and even labour organizations have voiced their opinions!
I have never known until today that it is so difficult to determine whether someone is male or female! I would like to quote from a story on the News24 website:
“The verification test, which takes weeks to complete, requires a physical medical evaluation, and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, an internal medicine specialist and an expert on gender.
Gender testing used to be mandatory for female athletes at the Olympics but the screenings were dropped in 1999. One reason for the change was that not all women have standard female chromosomes. In addition, there are cases of people who have ambiguous genitalia or other congenital conditions.
The most common cause of sexual ambiguity is congenital adrenal hyperplasia, an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands produce abnormally high levels of hormones.”
These tests will be performed and the outcome is expected within a few weeks.
So what did Caster Semenya look like at school? I have come across this photo of Caster Semenya during the SA High Schools Athletic Championships in Rustenburg South Africa on 28 March 2008. Photo: Gerhard Steenkamp/Superimage Media.
Of one thing I am convinced – if the finding is made that Caster Semenya is indeed female – she has the ability to dominate the 800m for many years to come!
I feel sorry for Caster Semenya for all the outbursts around her gender. I can only imagine the emotional pressure on such a young person…
Whatever the outcome of the tests might be – I am proud of Caster Semenya as a South African athlete who performed magnificently at the World Championships and wish her the very best for the future!!
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