The International Association of Athletics Federation is reviewing results of gender tests on South African runner Caster Semenya and will not issue its final decision until November, the Associated Press reports.
The 18 year-old athlete won the women’s 800-meter championships in Berlin last month, prompting a controversy over whether she is completely female – and whether she should be allowed to compete. The IAAF would not confirm or deny Australian newspaper reports that Caster has male and female sexual organs. “We would like to emphasize that these should not be considered as official statements by the IAAF,” the federation said in a statement.
The Australian newspaper reported on Friday that Semenya’s medical reports indicate she has no ovaries, but rather has internal male testes, which are producing large amounts of testosterone.
“We can officially confirm that gender verification test results will be examined by a group of medical experts,” the IAAF said in a written statement. “No decision on the case will be communicated until the IAAF has had the opportunity to complete this examination.”We do not expect to make a final decision on this case before the next meeting of the IAAF Council which takes place in Monaco on November 20-21.”
And despite everything, Semenya will probably keep her medal. “If she proves to have an advantage because of the male hormones, then it will be extremely difficult to strip the medal off her, since she has not cheated,” said IAAF spokesman Nick Davies. “She was naturally made that way.”
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