Petition to ‘Stop the bullying of Caster’

SCORES of Caster Semenya fans have petitioned British Athletics federation and a host of sponsors of marathon world record holder Paula Redcliffe following her comments that the SA champion’s current dominance in the 800m is “no longer sport”.

The “Stop the bullying of Caster Semenya” campaign, which hit 100 signatures four hours after its launch online yesterday, is demanding that Radcliffe’s sponsors, publishers and business partners make a public apology.

“Caster Semenya has been subjected to a cruel bullying campaign by Paula Radcliffe to undermine her confidence,” the petition noted.

“Radcliffe has tried to claim her comments during a BBC radio interview were taken out of context, but ... how does one take comparing Semenya’s participation to state-sponsored cheating out of context? Radcliffe should know better than anyone, that, if the IAAF clears you to compete, that’s the end of the story.”

In audio clips published by the BBC, Radcliffe said: “I fear that when we talk about it in terms of fully expecting no other result than Semenya to win that 800m [in Rio], then it’s no longer sport and it’s no longer an open race.”

What Radcliffe has put Semenya through is what Serena Williams has had to face as a black woman in tennis, the petition claimed.

Daniel Mothowagae