800m & two-veg

[Jimbo 133]

A WORLD champion female runner is to have a sex test over fears she is a MAN.

 

 

 

Caster Semenya, 18, stormed to victory in last night's 800 metres final at the World Championships in Berlin in 1 minute, 55.45 seconds - the fastest time of the year.

 

But deep-voiced Semenya - who finished ahead of Britain's Jenny Meadows in third - could be stripped of her medal if she fails a "gender verification test".

 

Athletics chiefs ordered the test three weeks ago when the beefy teenager, below after final, won the African junior championships in Mauritius - and smashed her personal best time by seven seconds.

 

But it could take several weeks before the test result is known as several medical experts are involved and they each write a report. The athlete's DNA will also undergo a string of checks.

 

The International Association of Athletics Federations spokesman Nick Davies said: "Following the African junior championships, the rumours, the gossip started to build up.

 

"The test is extremely complex. It's a medical issue - not an issue of cheating."

 

South Africa team manager Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane said: "There was no cheating. We entered her as a woman and want to keep it that way."

[Jill 0]

She's blatantly Ameobi.

[Jimbo 133]

She's blatantly Ameobi.

 

 

I see your point.

 

[JaMoUsE 0]

how can it take 3 weeks to get the results? surely its not rocket science....

[NJS 3960]

Seems strange to me - I read an article about transsexuals which informed me that an assumption I'd made was wrong in that a simple view of chromosones being XX or XY defining sex is not as clearcut as I thought - it is possible for XY people to be fertile females and for XX people to be male.

 

Bearing that in mind I would have thought that the "obvious" way of checking is more foolproof so I can't see what the medical test would involve.

 

Anyone remeber that Czheck "lass" Kratochvilova a few years ago?

[Guest alex]

Seems strange to me - I read an article about transsexuals which informed me that an assumption I'd made was wrong in that a simple view of chromosones being XX or XY defining sex is not as clearcut as I thought - it is possible for XY people to be fertile females and for XX people to be male.

 

Bearing that in mind I would have thought that the "obvious" way of checking is more foolproof so I can't see what the medical test would involve.

 

Anyone remeber that Czheck "lass" Kratochvilova a few years ago?

Me and Meenzer were on about her recently as it happens in a similar thread. Very suspect. Funnily enough, 'she' still holds the world record in this event.

[Billy Castell 0]

[Fop 1]

It's about time they got rid of all sexism in sport.

[ABZ Rover 0]

"BERLIN (AP) - The IAAF has asked the South African athletics federation to conduct a gender verification test on 800-meter runner Caster Semenya amid concerns she does not meet the requirements to compete as a woman

 

The 18-year-old Semenya won the 800 final on Wednesday at the world championships in a world leading 1 minute, 55.45 seconds, beating defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei by a massive 2.45 seconds. Jennifer Meadows of Britain took bronze.

 

Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo was eliminated in qualifying.

 

The IAAF requested the gender test about three weeks ago, after Semenya burst onto the scene by slicing her personal bests in the 800 and 1,500 by huge margins."

 

 

 

Does that mean "she" admits to once being a bloke then????

[Jusoda Kid 1]

how can it take 3 weeks to get the results? surely its not rocket science....

 

No, DNA science. Thoroughly more complex than fireworks.

 

 

Its not always this straight forward.....

 

 

 

 

Jay Jay Sea?

[Jimbo 133]

how can it take 3 weeks to get the results? surely its not rocket science....

 

No, DNA science. Thoroughly more complex than fireworks.

 

 

Its not always this straight forward.....

 

 

 

 

Jay Jay Sea?

 

It's Brock isn't it ?

[Brock Manson 0]

how can it take 3 weeks to get the results? surely its not rocket science....

 

No, DNA science. Thoroughly more complex than fireworks.

 

 

Its not always this straight forward.....

 

 

 

 

Jay Jay Sea?

 

It's Brock isn't it ?

 

[Jimbo 133]

Caster Semenya is an anagram of Yes a secret man

[JaMoUsE 0]

has to be a bloke like.........

 

Tests have revealed Caster Semenya's testosterone level to be three times higher than those normally expected in a female sample, BBC Sport understands.

 

Analysis prior to the World Athletics Championships and the 18-year-old's big improvement prompted calls for a gender test from the sport's governing body.

 

It was made public only hours before the South African, who has been backed by her nation, won the 800m in Berlin.

 

A high level of the hormone does not always equate to a failed drugs test.

 

But the news will only increase speculation surrounding Semenya, who arrived back in South Africa to a rapturous welcome on Tuesday.

 

 

Semenya was welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers on her return to South Africa

Hundreds turned out in Johannesburg to greet the teenager, who has stunned the athletics world with her performances this season.

 

She ran a time of one minute, 56.72 seconds in Bambous in July to smash her previous personal best by more than seven seconds.

 

She also broke Zola Budd's long-standing South African record and arrived at the World Championships as the newly crowned African junior champion.

 

Then in Berlin she left her rivals trailing to win gold in a time of 1:55.45.

 

Defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei was second, a massive 2.45 seconds adrift, with Britain's Jenny Meadows taking the bronze medal.

 

Only hours before the race, it leaked out that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) had demanded Semenya take a gender test amid fears she should not be allowed to run as a woman.

 

It has since emerged that news of the test only became public knowledge because a fax was sent to the wrong person.

 

Caster is like my child. I know where she comes from. For myself, I know Caster is a girl

 

Semenya's uncle

It has also been revealed that following the findings of initial tests, the South Africans were asked by the IAAF to withdraw her from the team at the World Championships.

 

Since then, both her family and South African athletics chiefs have leapt to her defence, insisting she is 100% female.

 

"Caster is a girl. I am not worried about that too much," said her uncle on her arrival back in South Africa.

 

"Caster is like my child. I know where she comes from. For myself, I know Caster is a girl."

 

Leonard Chuene, president of Athletics South Africa (ASA), has resigned from his seat on the IAAF board in protest against the organisation's treatment of Semenya.

 

"It will not be fair for me to attack the IAAF as a council member and representative of South Africa. It is a conflict of interest," Chuene told BBC's Newshour programme.

 

Chuene also asked that the issue be laid to rest.

 

"We have not once, as ASA, doubted her," he said. "It's very simple - she's a girl.

 

"We took this child to Poland to the junior championship under the IAAF. Why was there no story about it? She was accepted there.

 

"No-one said anything there because she did not do anything special. She is the same girl."

 

 

Testosterone levels can vary widely, which makes it hard to detect possible infractions.

 

When analysis shows an athlete to have a raised level, they are monitored at regular intervals over a set period to establish what their underlying levels would be.

 

That is then used as a marker for the future, so any sharp differences immediately stand out as suspicious.

 

An analysis of Semenya's testosterone levels was carried out in South Africa and it is understood that this information contributed to the IAAF's decision to request the ASA carry out a detailed "gender verification" test on the athlete.

 

Those medical tests are said to be ongoing, with the results not expected for several weeks.

 

On Sunday, IAAF president Lamine Diack admitted the affair could have been treated with more sensitivity.

 

"It should not even have become an issue if the confidentiality had been respected," he said. "There was a leak of confidentiality at some point and this led to some insensitive reactions."

[Guest alex]

how can it take 3 weeks to get the results? surely its not rocket science....

 

No, DNA science. Thoroughly more complex than fireworks.

 

 

Its not always this straight forward.....

 

 

 

 

Jay Jay Sea?

Happy Birthday btw.

[Kitman 2188]

Whether or not it's a bloke, it's certainly highly suspicious she's suddenly beaten her previous PB by seven seconds and become a world beater overnight to boot. That's plainly what the IAAF believe too.

[Meenzer 13988]

The problem is that being female in a societal sense, or even a broadly physical sense, doesn't necessarily tally with being female for the purposes of athletics. It's rare for the two worlds to face off against each other, but that's where we're at and the end result is bound to be awkward whichever way the decision falls.

[Fop 1]

Whether or not it's a bloke, it's certainly highly suspicious she's suddenly beaten her previous PB by seven seconds and become a world beater overnight to boot. That's plainly what the IAAF believe too.

 

 

That's more suspicious than anything else. Technically a woman with a high testosterone level can be higher than a man with a low testosterone level.

[Guest alex]

The problem is that being female in a societal sense, or even a broadly physical sense, doesn't necessarily tally with being female for the purposes of athletics. It's rare for the two worlds to face off against each other, but that's where we're at and the end result is bound to be awkward whichever way the decision falls.

Whatever the outcome it hasn't been handled very well. It seems totally unfair the way it was announced the day before the 800 final that a gender test was to take place afterwards. Not sure whether that's mainly the fault of the IAAF or the South African governing body or (most likely) a combination of both but it cast a shadow over the final and would have ruined her moment of victory.

[tinofbeans 86]

also if you eat certain things it can boost testosterone levels (i'm thinking of certain red meats here).... linford christie did it once when he was finished (technically), and his levels were very high if i remember rightly. supplements also help boost this as well. she might have an overactive pituary gland, or something that stimulates this, perhaps.

 

Physiologically she's very manly. narrow hips, broad shoulders, deep voice.

Edited August 26, 2009 by canofbeans

[Fop 1]

The problem is that being female in a societal sense, or even a broadly physical sense, doesn't necessarily tally with being female for the purposes of athletics. It's rare for the two worlds to face off against each other, but that's where we're at and the end result is bound to be awkward whichever way the decision falls.

Whatever the outcome it hasn't been handled very well. It seems totally unfair the way it was announced the day before the 800 final that a gender test was to take place afterwards. Not sure whether that's mainly the fault of the IAAF or the South African governing body or (most likely) a combination of both but it cast a shadow over the final and would have ruined her moment of victory.

Wasn't it leaked?

[Guest alex]

The problem is that being female in a societal sense, or even a broadly physical sense, doesn't necessarily tally with being female for the purposes of athletics. It's rare for the two worlds to face off against each other, but that's where we're at and the end result is bound to be awkward whichever way the decision falls.

Whatever the outcome it hasn't been handled very well. It seems totally unfair the way it was announced the day before the 800 final that a gender test was to take place afterwards. Not sure whether that's mainly the fault of the IAAF or the South African governing body or (most likely) a combination of both but it cast a shadow over the final and would have ruined her moment of victory.

Wasn't it leaked?

I think you're mixing two things up. I think the results of the initial test were leaked (but that was after the race due to the IAAF or whoever sending the fax to the wrong person supposedly ) but I'm on the pre-race announcement which was (I think) an official IAAF one to the press about the athlete's gender being in question etc.

[Fop 1]

The problem is that being female in a societal sense, or even a broadly physical sense, doesn't necessarily tally with being female for the purposes of athletics. It's rare for the two worlds to face off against each other, but that's where we're at and the end result is bound to be awkward whichever way the decision falls.

Whatever the outcome it hasn't been handled very well. It seems totally unfair the way it was announced the day before the 800 final that a gender test was to take place afterwards. Not sure whether that's mainly the fault of the IAAF or the South African governing body or (most likely) a combination of both but it cast a shadow over the final and would have ruined her moment of victory.

Wasn't it leaked?

I think you're mixing two things up. I think the results of the initial test were leaked (but that was after the race due to the IAAF or whoever sending the fax to the wrong person supposedly ) but I'm on the pre-race announcement which was (I think) an official IAAF one to the press about the athlete's gender being in question etc.

That would be harsh.

 

Incidentally what are the rules on transgender in athletics? If you are legally a man or woman but weren't at birth can you even compete?

[Guest alex]

Actually I just read the latest on this on the Beeb and you're right, it was leaked out initially, which is why they then went public with it. Terrible timing for the athlete though.

[maggiespaws 0]

Thing is, even if it's proved she's a girl, there will always be doubt now. It doesnt help that she looks, walks, talks and runs like a bloke.

 

There's an old saying in there somewhere, but I cant remember it.....