Semenya has always answered her critics on the the track, but now has to fight IAAF

PAYING tribute to the late Winnie Madikizela- Mandela by raising the black-power salute at her 800m gold medal ceremony, Caster Semenya’s gesture of defiance has greater significance in light of recent developments.

Semenya would have been aware of the impending storm that would erupt two weeks later, with the IAAF publishing its discriminatory gender policy.

The IAAF has introduced a new policy attempting to regulate women who naturally produce testosterone levels above five nanomoles per litre.

For now, the regulations are limited to athletes who compete in events ranging from the 400m to the mile.

This directly affects Semenya as it coincidentally targets events she has excelled in over the past few years.

Prominent experts from around the world have rubbished the flawed science the IAAF have used to draft the new regulations.

The IAAF has relied largely on the statistics from a study of blood data from male and female athletes at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships.

Interestingly the study showed no correlation between the elevated testosterone levels above five nanomoles per litre and better performances than women with low levels.

It is a bizarre addition to the regulations and opens speculation that the new policy is aimed specifically at Semenya or African athletes who excel in those events.

The ANC labelled the new regulations as “grossly unfair, unjust and blatant racist” saying it is an attempt by the IAAF to discriminate and exclude athletes.

The injustice continues nine years since Semenya was placed under the magnifying glass of the world.

Madikizela- Mandela was one of the few people who offered Semenya the dignity she so deserved when her confidential medical records were leaked.

The whole sorry saga will remain one of the great injustices in an international sport where Semenya becomes the topic of conversation about a condition which is none of anybody’s damn business.

Semenya embarrassed the IAAF when she refused to lie down and accept the fate the athletics governing body had planned for her to go quietly.

In 2011 the IAAF developed a new set of rules for eligibility into women’s competition based on testosterone levels following their poor handling of the saga.

Those regulations were suspended when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the IAAF did not provide conclusive proof that women with elevated levels of testosterone had an advantage.

Embodying the freedom fighting spirit of Madikizela-Mandela, Semenya has defied the IAAF with every single gold-medal winning run on the international stage.

Semenya has answered her critics on the track and while she has been greeted with intolerance, she has answered back with kindness.

But they should not expect her to merely take it on the chin, the IAAF should expect a great deal of resistance from Semenya and her army of supporters.

In a media release, Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa intimated that the IAAF could soon return to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to defend the policy.

“Our government will go to every length and breadth to fight and challenge this deci- sion,” Xasa said in the statement.

“Together with all the role-players and stakeholders affected and impacted by this decision, we will study the basis of the report as we seek a possible review of the judgment and accordingly prepare our legal defences, to overturn this decision.”

If the IAAF thought they had finally closed the book on the whole mess, they have another thing coming and we can expect a battle and a half over the coming months.