Caster Semenya row: World athletics chiefs to determine what makes a woman
October 12th, 2009 - 12:33 pm ICT by ANILondon, Oct.12 (ANI): World athletics chiefs will meet this week and attempt to do what no man has achieved in history - determining exactly what makes a woman.The global scandal over South Africa’s sexually ambiguous world champion Caster Semenya has forced the International Association of Athletics Federations to set down in black and white a working of definition of what constitutes a woman, for the purposes of competition, reports The Daily Telegraph.
That definition will take into account the biological, biochemical, anatomical, psychological and probably even sociological characteristics that make up females.
On Sunday, IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said the IAAF Medical Commission will meet on Friday and will be asked to come up with a definition of a female. He also said that the judicial commission would be asked to frame regulations to safeguard women-only competition.
“We will get a reply in the next 12 months - I don’t expect that anything will come out before,” Weiss said.
The IAAF is scheduled to decide next month whether Semenya, 18, had an unfair advantage over other women when she emerged from obscurity to win the women’s 800m title in Berlin on August 19.
Weiss said he had asked colleagues from other sports if they had a definition of a woman for the purposes of participation in sport.
“Nobody has one, but nobody (else) has had the problem so far,” he said.
Athletics South Africa’s president Leonard Chuene and some of his fellow managers were told by IAAF medical commission member and South African team doctor Harold Adams not to allow Semenya to run in the women’s world championship following the results of sex tests conducted in Pretoria on August 7.
Chuene denied any such tests had been conducted or that he had been advised by Adams to withdraw Semenya from competition, but admitted late last month he had lied. (ANI)
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- Athletics South Africa criticises Caster Semenya hermaphrodite report - Sep 11, 2009
- Semenya's gender tested unknown to her: mother - Sep 13, 2009
- South African officials withhold findings of Caster Semenya's gender test - Sep 19, 2009
- After World Cup, runner Semenya is South Africa's hope - Jul 12, 2010
- Kenya's Jepkosgei eyes another Olympic medal in London - May 04, 2012
- Rivals 'stared and laughed at' Proteas' Semenya, claims UK athlete - Jul 23, 2010
- 'South African co-operation in Semenya case' - Oct 04, 2009
- South Africa's athletics boss faces the chop over Semenya lies - Sep 20, 2009
- IAAF offers to pay for Caster Semenya's gender surgery - Dec 12, 2009
- 'It's like racing a man', says Semenya's Brit rival after Berlin race - Aug 23, 2010
- Semenya skips African Athletics Championships, to focus on CWG - Jul 12, 2010
- South Africa Sports Minister warns of World War III over Semanya - Sep 12, 2009
Tags: 800m, august 19, august 7, caster, commission member, daily telegraph, fellow managers, general secretary, iaaf, international association of athletics federations, judicial commission, medical commission, obscurity, pierre weiss, pretoria, sex tests, sociological characteristics, team doctor, unfair advantage, world champion