In recent months, there has been a rather large amount of media attention given to Caster Semenya, the 18 year old middle distance runner from South Africa who obliterated the Women's 800m competition in Berlin during the World Championships, and quite frankly it should stop. Obviously I am aware that the very fact that I am writing this article is contrary to the point that I am conveying but nonetheless I feel it essential that the point reach the readers of this blog.
For those of you who have not being paying attention to World news in recent months. I'll provide you with a slight recap. Caster Semenya, is a young woman who was born in Ga-Masehlong in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, who shot to international attention by winning the 800m track event. Immediately after the event, competitors contested Semenya's gender and amid these allegations; a media circus was formed.
Now, the accusations themselves will be scrutinised; it was said that Semenya's achievement was dubious because she had had no previous success in the event and then had become incredibly competitive in a short period of time. There are some issues with this matter. Firstly, One has to take into account that, like Semenya, Maggie Vessey from the United States had not been previously acknowledged for her abilities in the event but yet set a personal best of 1:57.84s. in Monaco. Secondly, while Semenya did indeed annihilate her competition in Berlin with a time of 1:55.45s., she didn't even come close to besting the World Record of 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in Munich in 1983. So, what are the allegations founded upon? Quite clearly, it is Semenya's appearance.
It would be too easy to make claims of racism but naive to think that her physical transformation over the last year was enough to stimulate the onslaught of criticism she endured at the hands of some of her competitors and spectators alike. But this begs a question; what then? Why have the IAAF pandered to the requests of bitter athletes that are labelling Semenya a guy and begging for gender tests when the IAAF had stated in 1992 that it would no longer conduct gender tests?
It is pretty clear that the IAAF will not divulge much in the way of adequate responses regarding these questions, nor will they afford Semenya the right afforded to the accused in so many courts in the land; an opportunity to meet her accusers!
But now that the tests have been conducted, and the results remain unclear until November, what, regardless of the results, will happen to Caster Semenya? Or does no one, with the exception of me and a few small groups here and there, care?
Let us take two cases where gender testing has been conducted and examine how this affected the athletes in question...
A friend of mine brought this to my attention, a story surrounding an athlete who experienced simialr circumstances:
Poland's Stanislawa Walasiewicz had taken the sprinting world by storm with her victory in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics women's 100m. Just to prove it was no fluke, she followed it up by setting 11 world records. Defending the gold four ... Read Moreyears later in Berlin, Walasiewicz, now a naturalised American under the name of Stella Walsh, lost her crown to compatriot Helen Stephens and instantly cried foul. The 6ft Stephens was accused of being a man and had to undergo the indignity of a sex test which she passed.
Forty-four years later, Walsh, a bystander at a robbery in Cleveland, was shot dead. An autopsy discovered that it was Walsh who was in fact a man. (31 October 2004)
Examine the case of Santhi Soundarajan who, after failing the OCA's (Olympic Council of Asia) test, later attempted to commit suicide (on more than one occasion) due to the social ostricism that she experienced after the public announcement of her failing the OCA's examination. In her case, it was assumed that she had a condition known as Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome which, while an 'intersexed' condition, is not officially recognised as a 'gender threatening' ailment. And certainly, not one that should allow the IAAF to restrict competition.
These are just two cases whereby the accused was served injustice. If Semenya is found to be in the clear, she will most likely never be seen again due to the humiliation she has already endured. If she fails, do you really think she will compete on the World stage again? There will be taunts, pointed fingers, and raised eyebrows. Competitors will mutter hateful remarks. In short, this girl's career and life are in tatters because of petty sour grapes...
I'm leaving this post unfinished, because of course, conclusions to what may happen are best not over-forecast. I'm leaving this space open because I want to stimulate some debate. Just take a moment to think about this situation. Put yourself in her shoes. For those of you who begrudge her, I ask "why?".
