Caster Semenya, that South African middle distance sprinter whose gender identity came under fire after winning the 800 meters in Berlin last summer, is getting sick of sitting around while the governing bodies of track and field decide whether she’s eligible to compete as a female.
“I hereby publicly announce my return to athletics competitions,” Semenya said in a statement on Tuesday shortly after a meet in South Africa denied the 19-year-old world champion’s request to run.
“I am an athlete first and foremost and it is vital for my competitiveness, my well being and for my preparations for events during the European summer that I measure my performance against other athletes,” she said.
The IAAF, the sport’s international governing body, doesn’t seem to be in any real hurry to resolve her case.
Richard Stander, the chief executive of the local Boland Athletics association and meet organizer, told the AP that Semenya had not been invited to Tuesday’s meet.
“The IAAF have got her under advisement from her medical team and until such a time as the IAAF tells us otherwise … we cannot invite her,” Stander told the AP. “Her coach spoke to me. And a member of her legal team. They are requesting for their athlete to participate and I said to them exactly what I am saying to you. There are rules that we need to apply.” –Hartford Courant.
Semenya submitted to a gender test that found her testosterone level to be three times that of the “normal” female, whatever that is. Either way, Semenya’s cooperation (and refusal to appear in the media since the incident occured) is hurting her own cause. Pressure needs to be brought to bear. Someone needs to stick it to those sons of bitches. Of course, if she was truly a woman, she would have just nagged the hell out of them until they let her go.
