Caster Semenya – IAAF cannot choose sex

Back in August 2009, South African runner Caster Semenya set the Women’s 800m world record at the Berlin World Championships. Once the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) raised the issue of whether Caster Semenya was a woman or a man and initial findings indicated that Caster may be a hermaphrodite, she was barred from competition until gender verification tests could produce a sound conclusion. That conclusion has yet to be made nearly eight months later, and Caster Semenya is tired of waiting to race again. South Africa might not have the option of payday advances. How else then will she make a living?

Caster Semenya insists she is a woman

The month after the whole IAAF situation, Caster Semenya decided to pose for a glamorous cover story in YOU magazine. Caster is completely comfortable with her womanhood, despite the fact she is nevertheless in question with the IAAF governing body. According to the UK's Guardian newspaper, it has damaged her career and infringed upon her rights, says Semenya regarding the investigations. She said that ever since her victory in the female 800m event that took place at the Berlin world championships, she has "been subjected to unwarranted and invasive scrutiny of the most intimate and private details of my being".

Caster Semenya can’t compete, even though she hasn’t been banned or suspended

Caster Semenya has not been banned or suspended from racing, which makes the whole IAAF operation even more foolish. Seems like as if she was cooperative to a fault when she agreed not to compete until the IAAF could clear up the confusion. Now she’s ready to fight. The wait has been excessive, and Caster Semenya and her advisers can discover no reason that she should not be able to get back to racing. She’s been awarded her gold medal and prize money for her 800m victory already. Caster Semenya's full comeback statement can be found here (from The Guardian).

Athletics South Africa encourages her to hold on

Ray Mali, chairman at Athletics South Africa, is asking Caster Semenya and her advisers to stay patient. ASA thinks Caster should wait for the result since the IAAF has promised a "speedy" process, but the IAAF has reportedly already missed several self-imposed deadlines, partially due to a change in leadership over mishandlings of the Caster Semenya issue.

Meanwhile, Caster Semenya isn’t allowed to pursue her career of choice when the bureaucrats spin their wheels? It would be too much to expect a turnaround as quick as same day payday loans, but this is getting outrageous. In fact, it may have to be a sacrifice of a promising sports career like what Caster Semenya would surely enjoy to really expose just how incompetent and low the world athletic associations have become.