iafrica.com's Head of Sport, Rob Peters, is appalled at the way the Caster Semenya situation has been handled over the past week and considers how it could have been done differently.

After watching the Caster Semenya debate rage into, and over, the weekend I cannot believe the way this young athlete's name has been dragged through the mud. Regardless of what happens next it is impossible to fathom the impact this 'trial' will have on her.

But judging by her comments, made immediately after winning the 800m final on Wednesday evening in Berlin, I would not be all that surprised if she decided to turn her back on the world of athletics — nor would I blame her for doing so.

"No one ever said I was not a girl, but here (in Berlin) I am not. I am not a boy. Why did you bring me here? You should have left me in my village at home," Semenya is quoted as saying to Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene.

The 18-year-old runner apparently wanted to boycott the medal ceremony as well. But then when fellow competitors, fans and administrators are openly questioning whether or not she is female why would she not want to?

Since the story erupted more information has emerged on Semenya, however, and it appears she has been forced to deal with these questions for years. At school she was forced to reveal her gender in the most humiliating way, literally having to prove it in the bathroom before an event.

It has also since been revealed that she has already undergone gender testing — twice as a teenager — and passed on both occasions. But now, under the focus of the international community, she is being asked once again to prove that she is a woman.

Can you imagine anything worse?

In their defence, the IAAF attempted to shield Semenya from the media after going public with their decision to test her gender. But why on earth did they go public in the first place? These tests could have been done privately, without revealing the decision to the media, and thus the public.

Once the results were known, the IAAF could have planned the best way to move forward.

It is too late for that, however, and now an 18-year-old from humble beginnings, who should by all rights be celebrating a remarkable achievement, is being forced to endure what nobody should ever have to.

What makes it all the more despicable is that it has since emerged the results of the tests — whatever they are — may not even have an impact on whether or not Semenya retains the title.

If Semenya might not even lose the title — as IAAF spokesperson Nick Davies claims — I am struggling to understand the point of an investigation that looks more like a witch hunt, than a valid attempt to oust a cheat.

Why exactly has Semenya been asked to undergo a test? Why have scores of other athletes, laden down with muscles (the result of years of hard work and training I should add) not been asked to undergo the same tests? Is it because she has a deep voice? Or maybe it is because she is not considered attractive?

In the end, I can't shake the feeling that Caster Semenya has become the victim of society's distorted views that a woman should look, sound and behave a certain way.

On the same day that the world is celebrating the achievements of Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt, extending invitations and offering lucrative sponsorship deals, South Africa's newest sensation is being forced to defend herself against the most lurid and humiliating of questions.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

  • What do you make of the Caster Semenya debate? Comments below!


    RSS
    Digg
    de.li.cious
    facebook
    LATEST FEATURES
    Should FIFA ban vuvuzelas? The throwing of vuvuzelas at Newlands Stadium last week has given rise to fresh debate.
    CC Team of the Week (c) AFP Our Currie Cup Team of the Week is unsurprisingly dominated by the log-leading Sharks this week.
    Only boring if you lose Graham Henry in deep thought.(AFP) Rob Peters asks why the laws of rugby need to be changed just because the All Blacks aren't winning.


    Print this page
    Send this article to a friend