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Semenya vows to return after frustrating wait

Caster Semenya © Getty Images

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World 800m champion Caster Semenya has accused the sport's governing body of damaging her career.

Semenya has not competed since she hit the headlines last summer at the World Championships in Berlin, where she stormed to victory in the women's 800m and was subsequently embroiled in a gender row.

She was not banned from competition by the IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federations], but originally agreed not to compete while investigations are ongoing into the results of her gender test.

However, the acting head of Athletics South Africa, Ray Mali, told Semenya: "The IAAF has given the assurance of completing the medical process speedily and has requested that ASA abides by the world body's decision not to allow Semenya to participate in track-and-field events until the process has run its course."

After being barred from a local competition at Stellenbosch near Cape Town, Semenya claimed her human rights had been infringed. In a statement released by her lawyers, she vowed to return to competition.

"Since my victory in the female 800 metre event at the Berlin World Championships in August last year, I have been subjected to unwarranted and invasive scrutiny of the most intimate and private details of my being," she said. "Some of the occurrences leading up to and immediately following the Berlin World Championships have infringed on not only my rights as an athlete but also my fundamental and human rights including my rights to dignity and privacy.

"Given that I have rightfully not been disqualified nor suspended from athletics competitions and given also that I expected these processes to be expedited I, on my own volition, resolved not to compete in athletics competitions until these processes had been completed. Unfortunately these processes have dragged on for far too long with no reasonable certainty as to their end.

"The result is that my athletic capabilities and earning potential are being severely compromised. I am an athlete first and foremost and it is vital for my competitiveness, my well being and for my preparations for events during the European summer that I measure my performance against other athletes.

"I hereby publicly announce my return to athletics competitions. My coach, agent and I will work closely together to identify and prepare for a limited number of athletics meetings over the course of the coming athletics season."

However, the ASA are standing firm. "The IAAF have said the scientific team is due to report back in June so we are waiting for that," spokesman Richard Stander told Johannesburg's 702 Talk Radio.

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