JOHANNESBURG – South African sports officials met on Saturday to decide how best to help a world champion runner whose sex has been questioned and how to respond to the circus created by alleged leaks from the international track and field body.
The International Association of Athletics Federations, which ordered sex tests on women’s world 800-metre champion Caster Semenya, has refused to confirm or deny Australian media reports that the tests show Semenya has both male and female characteristics. The international body says it is reviewing the results and will issue a final decision in November on whether Semenya will be allowed to continue to compete in women’s events.’She is going to be dominating the debate today,’ Athletics South Africa President Leonard Chuene told The Associated Press.Chuene said he and other officials would review, among other issues, his decision to withdraw from the IAAF board, which South Africa accuses of mishandling the Semenya case by violating its own rules that such matters be handled privately. Results of the ASA deliberations will be announced Sunday, Chuene said.ASA-IAAF relations have been severely strained by the Semenya affair, but Chuene said on Saturday, ‘We don’t fight them. We just want to deal with the matter.’Chuene said he withdrew from the IAAF board because ‘you can’t sit there, denying and fighting.’ But he acknowledged a seat on the board might make it easier to defend Semenya’s interests. – Nampa-AP
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