Her fate in the balance, Semenya still excels
While the storm brewed around verifying her sexual identity, Caster Semenya has been relatively quiet on the issue, preferring to do her talking on the track
AS THE debate surrounding the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) controversial female eligibility rules rages, Caster Semenya keeps slaying on the track.
Ten days before the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) was meant to make its ruling on the divisive issue, Semenya made her competitive debut in the 5 000m in Pretoria.
In the decade since Semenya raced to her maiden world title in Berlin, which triggered a sex-verification storm, she has been relatively quiet on the issue.
Instead, she has done her talking on the track where every single step represented her quiet defiance.
Semenya made a statement every time she stepped onto the podium, inched closer to the world record or hugged a spiteful competitor.
If the CAS rules in favour of the IAAF, Semenya would no longer be allowed to compete in the 400m, 800m, 1500m or the mile without taking hormone-suppressing medication.
But she would be able to compete in anything below 400m or above the mile. Even the 5 000m.
The CAS will decide at the end of next month whether there is merit in the IAAF’S argument that women who naturally produce testosterone above five nanomoles per litre of blood should be regulated.
The global athletics body believe they have to draw the line somewhere in order to “protect” the female category as we know it.
The issue is hardly black and white with some medical experts and others arguing that testosterone alone is not a defining factor in separating the male from the female category.
In an editorial in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Doctor Sheree Bekker and Professor Cara Tannenbaum wrote on Wednesday that the IAAF’S regulations were not supported by scientific evidence.
“The basis for their (IAAF) claim is a lack of scientific evidence showing that endogenous testosterone concentrations substantially enhance sports performance,” they wrote in the BMJ.
“The paucity of reproducible scientific data on the effect of testosterone on speed during track and field events poses an additional challenge.
“The medical profession does not define biological sex or physical function by serum testosterone levels alone.”
The authors said the policy could have far-reaching implications “on individuals, societies, and even medical science”.
“If more science is needed to develop an objective measure of androgen sensitivity, then call for health research organisations to deliver on this mandate,” they wrote.
“History compels us to ensure that decisions about genetic superiority are supported by objective, rigorous, and reproducible data. Although this is purely conjecture, we venture that the Olympian gods smile down on winners like Mokgadi Caster Semenya when they perform extraordinary feats of human endeavour.”
Ten years ago, Semenya’s “extraordinary feats for human endeavour” was announced to the world when she won the women’s 800m world title as a mere teenager.
Instead of celebrating her incredible natural abilities she was subjected to “gender verification” in the glare of public attention.
Tuks high-performance centre chief executive Toby Sutcliffe recalls the “chaos” that ensued following Semenya’s return from Berlin.
Semenya, who was 18 at the time, stayed in one of the sports houses off campus but with the world’s media chasing every angle, Sutcliffe had to make contingency plans to protect the star athlete.
“What we basically did when she came back was to bring her in to live in one of our hotel rooms,” Sutcliffe said.
“We could have security at the gate to prevent the press from getting to there because they were all here.
“It was about giving her the protection that she was able to live a life as a normal human being, without being pestered and bugged the whole time.”
Over the next 11 months Semenya’s legal team led by Gregory Nott, who also represented her before the CAS in the current challenge, fought and won the battle to allow her to compete again.
Semenya spent a large portion of that time in the confines of the sports campus where she could be protected from prying eyes..
“While it was happening we tried to keep her on campus as much as possible and our security was pretty tight.
“We organised things like teaching her how to drive, we organised one of our staff members to teach her how to drive with one of our vehicles on the campus,” Sutcliffe said.
He said a panel of experts was assembled to force the IAAF’S hand to allow Semenya back into competition.
“We put together a medical team to look at addressing the issue with the IAAF which consisted of 11 different doctors, specialists,” Sutcliffe said.
“I didn’t know at the time there were that many ‘ologists’ in this world because we really put together a team that would go into minute detail to go and defend the whole thing.
“We proved unequivocally that she was female,” he said.
Sutcliffe said after a host of meetings between the IAAF and Semenya’s legal teams it was agreed the upper levels for the regulations would be set at 10 nanomoles per litre of blood.
A decade later and the issue stirs strong feelings of déjà vu with Semenya having to fight to be able to thank the Olympian gods for her gift.
But while the legal eagles and experts debate an issue that requires the wisdom of King Solomon, Semenya is becoming a ‘women’s rights’ activist in her own right.
“Ms Semenya believes that she and other women affected by the regulations should be permitted to compete in the female category without discrimination, and celebrated for their natural talents as are all other athletes with genetic variations,” Semenya’s law firm said before the CAS hearing in February.
“The IAAF’S regulations do not empower anyone. Rather, they represent yet another flawed and hurtful attempt to police the sex of female athletes.
“Ms Semenya’s courage and perseverance in her fight to run free is an inspiration to young athletes in her home country of South Africa and around the globe,” the lawyers said.
When the world was first confronted with the difficult question around sex verification and the rights of athletics with differences of sexual development, Semenya was ridiculed by the uninformed in society.
Semenya gained an army of supporters over the years with South Africans and rights groups from across the world rallying behind her in her current battle.
The groundswell of support has permeated into South African social media culture with the “Hands Off Caster” movement building momentum.
Her fight has also awoken corporate South Africa with local airline Kulula starting the #Wingsforcaster encouraging the country to show their support for Semenya.
Her influence is most tangible on the track where she runs with purpose but makes her humanity shine through once the race is done.
“She has become an ambassador for the sport let’s be honest, she started her own athletics club because she wants to give back,” Sutcliffe said about the athlete who calls him “dad”.
“If you just look at Caster, after every single race she makes an effort to go and congratulate and thank them for the race.
“She is respectful to anybody in the sport because she understands that everyone has to go through a period where they have to give their best, give their all and work hard with the passion to perform.”