IAAF denies Australian media report of Semenya's result
The International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) has denied any knowledge of the purported result of Caster Semenya's recent gender verification test being spread by Australian and other European media organisations.
The IAAF noted in a statement released to journalists now that the results would only be made public once experts had studied them and Semenya herself had been contacted.
"We would like to emphasise that these [so-called media reports] should not be considered as official statements by the IAAF.
"We can officially confirm that gender verification test results will be examined by a group of medical experts. NO decision on the case will be communicated until the IAAF has had the opportunity to complete this examination.
"We do not expect to make a final decision on this case before the next meeting of the IAAF Council which takes place in Monaco on November 20-21," the statement read.
According to the IAAF spokesperson Nick Davies the test results will be interpreted by a panel of experts drawn from the IAAF Medical Commission and some outside specialists as well.
“It is likely that we will be in a position to then discuss the results, in private, with Semenya, and decide on a course of action and any public announcement.
“Nothing will therefore be announced or confirmed until we are in a position to have the expert evaluation of the results, and discuss them with the athlete. We cannot give an exact timing but probably within the next couple of week," he added.
Media reports
Meanwhile South Africa's athletics president Leonard Chuene has blasted Australian media reports alleging that world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite.
The Sydney Daily Telegraph claimed tests results leaked to them by an 'IAAF source' shown that Semenya has both male and female sexual characteristics.
These spurious claims have been rejected by the Athletics South Africa (ASA) president. Chuene said: "The IAAF has issued a statement that said the case will come before the executive council in November where it will be decided.
"They told us this week that the tests are inconclusive and they could not give us the results just yet. So I really do not know where the Australia media got this latest one from."
Semenya will be trying to put what has been written about her behind her when she competes in a 4km race at the SA cross-country championships in Pretoria tomorrow.
Our view on this
Now, one wonders when the results were still being evaluated, how and what would motivate so-called responsible media organisations to come up with a headline that Semenya is an hermaphrodite and that she has no womb and ovaries and even go further to ask the public to vote on it's - Should Semenya be stripped of her gold medal? poll prompting some commentators on some of these sites referring to the poor girl as an 'IT'.
Could it be that the media is now so covered in their own filth that editors can't be responsible enough to wait for official confimation of a delicate and sensitive issue like this before cashing in on remours, without regards for the feelings of the athlete and family concerned?
And who's that irresponsible and tactless mole in the IAAF that the AFP/Eurosport has slipped up is a she?
By the way, both the Sydney Daily Telegraph and the Sun are owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
