Rivals ’stared and laughed at’ Proteas’ Semenya, claims UK athlete
July 23rd, 2010 - 5:03 pm ICT by ANILondon, July 23 (ANI): British athlete Jenny Meadows says South African hermaphrodite Caster Semenya’s return to competition has not been accepted by her fellow 800 metres runners.
The Guardian quoted Meadows, who won bronze for Britain at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin last year (in which Semenya claimed the gold medal), said: “I don’t think there is acceptance, to be honest. When I raced in Gateshead, I know some of the other girls were saying: ‘Oh, so Caster’s back,’ and the tone of their voices was sort of: ‘What’s it going to be like with Caster back?’
Meadows has been critical of athletes who have been “less gracious” in responding to the controversial case, which concluded when the International Association of Athletics Federations cleared Semenya to run this month.
Two competitors immediately publicly questioned Semenya’s gender after the world championship final last year.
Meadows says even before that race the mood in the call-out room was uncomfortable, with athletes “staring and laughing” at Semenya.
Semenya is targeting gold at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October, where Meadows believes the South African will be “a huge threat”. (ANI)
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- South African officials withhold findings of Caster Semenya's gender test - Sep 19, 2009
- 'It's like racing a man', says Semenya's Brit rival after Berlin race - Aug 23, 2010
- Athletics South Africa criticises Caster Semenya hermaphrodite report - Sep 11, 2009
Tags: berlin, british athlete, caster, commonwealth games, controversial case, girls, gold medal, guardian, hermaphrodite, iaaf world athletics championships, international association of athletics federations, jenny, london, New Delhi, rivals, runners, uk athlete, voices, world athletics championships