Blameless, but Semenya is still a real hot topic

SOME came prepared with pre-scripted answers, others spoke off the cuff but every woman who ran in the Olympic 800 metres heats yesterday knew they were going to be asked about Caster Semenya. The South African’s presence in the race, through no fault of her own, has provoked a storm of opinion, informed and otherwise, like no other in Rio. Semenya is 25 years old and nobody can come close over two laps, her personal best time almost a full second quicker than her nearest rival. She jogged the heat, finishing first in 1min 59.31sec seemingly without breaking sweat. If ever there was a gold medal certainty she is it. There is absolutely no suggestion Semenya is doping or, indeed, involved in any wrongdoing but victory for her on Saturday — as seems assured — would raise eyebrows. The controversy stems from her very being. She is thought to be ‘intersex’, identifying as a woman but with physical characteristics typically associated with both men and women. We know she was diagnosed with hyperandrogenism, a condition which means her testosterone levels are far higher than the average woman. Whether this is any different, as one expert put it, to a swimmer having big feet or a basketball player being tall, is open to debate. We also know that Semenya was handled appallingly when this issue first arose at the World Championships in 2009. When she won gold in 1:55.45, by the biggest margin in the history of world championships, some of the reaction was vitriolic. ‘She is a man,’ said Italy’s Elisa Cusma, one of the beaten finalists. What happened next shames the sport. It was leaked that she was undergoing gender testing, being subjected to medical examination to determine if she had an unfair advantage. Shortly afterwards the IAAF determined a testerone threshold. The rule meant Semenya could run again but only if she took medicine to suppress her testosterone. She won silver at the World Championships in 2011 and again at London 2012 but did not come close to her best. Another hyperandrogenic athlete, however, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand, changed everything when she appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, challenging the IAAF regulation. The appeal was upheld and all regulations were suspended until July 2017, meaning Semenya could run without suppressants. But yesterday, some 800m runners called for the ruling to be revised after the Olympics. Ireland’s Ciara Everard said: ‘From what I’ve seen, people are complaining about it, and perhaps the ruling needs to be revised, but it’s a very sensitive issue so needs to be dealt with very sensitively.’ Scot Lynsey Sharp qualified for the semi-final, winning her heat but would not be drawn on the issue. Compatriot Shelayna OskanClarke, who went through as a fastest loser, was sympathetic. ‘I think it’s an awkward situation,’ she said, ‘but I don’t think it’s fair for someone not to be able to run.’