Semenya has returned home to Johannesburg amid a hero's welcome…and a growing international incident around her gender and the investigation thereof. The IAAF are culpable for the leaks that keep happening, since — according to their own rules — the investigation should have been kept confidential. The South African government is making loud noises of support for their runner, and who knows — they might sue if Semenya is stripped of her Berlin medals.
Meanwhile, there is a South African website called "The Science of Sport" that is doing some informative and reasoned home-base analysis of Semenya's situation. It's a must-read for any Outsports reader who wants to get a better understanding of the particular area of gender science that is being looked at here — and the international behind-the-scenes political complications.
Semenya has returned home to Johannesburg amid a hero's welcome…and a growing international incident around her gender and the investigation thereof. The IAAF are culpable for the leaks that keep happening, since — according to their own rules — the investigation should have been kept confidential. The South African government is making loud noises of support for their runner, and who knows — they might sue if Semenya is stripped of her Berlin medals.
Meanwhile, there is a South African website called "The Science of Sport" that is doing some informative and reasoned home-base analysis of Semenya's situation. It's a must-read for any Outsports reader who wants to get a better understanding of the particular area of gender science that is being looked at here — and the international behind-the-scenes political complications.
Among other things, South African authorities say they already did some testing on Semenya, and insist that she passed muster. But according to The Science of Sport, it's not clear what kind of testing they did. Reacting to the crescendo of rumors around Semenya (and possibly mean-spirited feedback from a few of her competitors), the IAAF made a decision to do their own testing three weeks before the Berlin meet.
Comments on Semenya's story that I've read in the U.S. major media — meaning the kind that are posted by "the public" in response to online stories — are often appalling for their sheer ignorance, insensitivity, racism, misogyny and genderphobia. They provide a vivid close-up on just how stupid and callous a certain percentage of Americans are.
I'll be writing more in depth about this story when the IAAF findings are officially made public. Whatever the decision is — one thing is for sure. The personal life of a talented young athlete is being run through a gigantic social and ideological meatgrinder right now.
