IAAF's Diack admits errors in handling of Semenya gender investigation
From James Toney, Sportsbeat, in Berlin
THE head of world athletics has admitted his organisation fumbled the handling of the Caster Semenya gender row.
ERRORS WERE MADE: IAAF president Lamine Diack admits regret at handling of Caster Semenya case (Getty Images)
Lamine Diack, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, said more sensitivity should have been shown towards the South African athlete.
Semenya won the 800m title earlier this week just hours after the IAAF confirmed at a press conference that she was the subject of an official investigation into her gender.
The 18-year old burst onto the scene by clocking the fastest time this year, by more than a second, at last month's African Junior Championship.
And she romped to victory at the Olympiastadion, despite the media frenzy swirling around her.
“It could have been treated with more sensitivity,” admitted Diack.
“It should not even have become an issue, if the confidentiality had been respected.
"There was a leak of confidentiality at some point and this lead to some insensitive reactions.
“It should have not have been an issue at all as to whether the athlete could run.
“We definitely could have done better with the way we handled it but we didn’t – and now we’ll wait for the scientists.”
Feelings are running high in South Africa, where officials have rallied around Semenya.
Some have even suggested there are racist undertones to the incident.
Leonard Chuene, the head of South African athletics, has stepped down from the IAAF Council, saying: "Who are white people to question the makeup of an African girl? I say this is racism, pure and simple."
But Diack hit out at those allegations.
“I understand that the Republic of South Africa are reacting in a very sensitive way but it was not a question of racism, as some are saying,” added Diack.
“I am the president of the IAAF and I am from Senegal.”
Working...
Comments
A totally crooked coach? At least, a very tainted past...
There is a lot of serious evidence against SA head coach (Ekkart Arbeit) and I don't understand why the anglo press has been so silent regarding him. Even without the allegations (below) all over the German and latino press this weekend, Arbeit's proven doping track record in several countries, starting with his two decades in East Germany, is horrible.
This, although, up until now, deemed in alleged status, wouldn't surprise me at all:
http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/sport-news/more-sport/2009/08/21/caster-semenya-sex-test/ex-coach-says-world-800m-champion-is-a-hermaphrodite.html
Caster Semenya's ex-coach has claimed the sex test controversy athlete is actually a hermaphrodite. The unnamed coach told Swiss tabloid ‘Blick that tests to determine her gender had already been taken. South Africa carried them out in March. The result is clear. Semenya should not have been allowed to start with the women at the World Championships in Berlin.
The unnamed source also claimed that South Africas head coach Ekkart Arbeit, who used to hold the same position with East Germany, knew exactly what had to be done to get Semenya past authorities in previous competitions.
Her testosterone level can be altered using medication so that she was not found out in previous doping tests.
=========
www.telegraph.co.uk:
A source close to the investigation of Semenya has confirmed that tests carried out before the start of the World Championships indicated that the runner had THREE TIMES the normal female level of TESTOSTERONE in her body.
=============
Arbeit was head coach for throwing events of the East German track and field team from 1982-88 and chief coach in 1989-90. This includes the infamous East German shot put team and Heidi Krieger, who was given so many hormonal drugs, she later changed into a he.
No science and technology can't analyzed the work of God!!!
Yes, The origin of human homo-sepian originated in Africa. The dominant gene is found in African and all other is the offspring and is recessive, as found by Mendel's genetic experiments. So, why do people think of racism and white people, who are the recessive as it relates to genetics, we should look to the creator for the answer. So, this athlete is African, so why do we question her and fear her, you so call mighty white race? Is this, because of lack od knowledge of the origin of this person? It seems so. She is a fully genetic, and not a watered-down female, with all her God given talent/charateristics as a pure African woman. So, without understanding, the recessive European ask question/investigate[this case],in order to gain knowledge to use science to create superior athletes, they do not chemically produce them anymore,because technology has caught with them. However, this investigation is a waste of time, because God created this athlete, and no science or man can analyzed this...
Caster Semenya
Ms. Semenya is another great talent. I was incredibly impressed w/ her racing and look forward to watching her develop in the sport for years to come. I particularly look forward to seeing her race a healthy Pamela Jelimo on the circuit well as several other women who have taken the 800 to another level this year.
The West has a history of
The West has a history of racistly calling Black women hermaphrodites in sports. REMEMBER Just a few years ago Imus got in trouble for calling some black female college basketball players "Some UGLY Bitches" It is simply the repeated racial unfamiliarity and intolerance that continues to raise it's ugly head.
I still say this whole thing
I still say this whole thing is crazy. It is prompted by 2 things 1) the europeans themselves have a HISTORY of cheating by putting men in the contest and pumping east German women with hormones to the point that they became men!!! So they suspect everyone else of cheating in the same way they do...and 2) Europeans are naturally a softer, more delicate and more aesthetic oriented peoples. That is why they sailed the world to steal people to tend their own farms. They couldn't do it themselves without machines! They forget everyone on the planet is not like them. I feel VERY strongly that this female didn't have to cheat in any way. She just has some of the more ancient strong genes on the planet....Instead of the newly evolved frail genes.
^^That was THOSE cheating
^^That was THOSE cheating people from east Germany. Each case should be evaluated on its own merits. This little girl is an innocent strong butch black girl. She did not need to resort to artificial chemicals to become strong. She summoned it from within in the same way that our African ancestors have ALWAYS been strong in the face of adversity.
She is just naturally NOT the type of primadonna that the West turns out. But that does not make her any less a female biologically or genetically!
Everything is suspect? Please!
Yup, like all of a sudden, South Africa, a country with a collapsing public healthcare system will start producing world class athletes at a secret facility somewhere. And if her performance was chemically enhanced (which is highly implausible) why then are the South Africans not doing so with the rest of their athletes? The only thing suspect is your reasoning.
Sexism, racism? Please.
In the 1976 Olympics, there was a reason why milky white, blonde Eastern European female athletes had deep voices, male-like musculature, little mustaches, and incredibly powerful performances. That reason was not pretty. Yes, they were women, but they were “chemically altered” women. And it was an investigation that got to the truth. Sports cheating technology has come a long way since then, and it surely has not been stopped in Berlin (several athletes have been caught cheating already). Is Semenya simply one of the latest examples?
In every case where there was a major scandal about doping or sex impersonation in sports in the past, the first reaction of the coaches and respective officials is one of outrage and absolute denial. Not any different in this SA case. The bringing up of racism or sexism to impede an investigation is totally suspect to me. As long as a full investigation is carried out related to Semenya, I don't care how much anyone screeches racism or sexism.
By the photos, the most plausible explanation as to why she has clearly a man's physical build and voice but claims to have external female genitalia is that she has some hermaphrodite condition, and her male physicque could have been additionally enhanced by drugs. Everything in her case is suspect to me.
Let the tests begin and the blame fall where it should, once the results are out.
Post new comment