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By
Mirror.co.uk 10/09/2009
A newspaper quoted sources who claimed an unreleased report shows the
South African has no womb or ovaries and has internal testes – the male
sex organs that produce testosterone.
Previous tests have shown that the 18-year-old’s testosterone levels are
three times higher than those expected in a female.
Australia’s Daily Telegraph claimed the International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF) had delayed going public with the results
amid controversy in South Africa over its decision to test Semenya, who
won gold in the 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin last
month.
The source told the newspaper: “There is evidence Semenya is a
hermaphrodite. But the trouble is the IAAF now have the ANC and the
whole of South Africa on their backs. Everything is going to have to be
done by the book, no question of a challenge to our findings. There’s
all sorts of scans you do. This is why it’s complicated.
“The problem for us is to avoid it being an issue now which is very
personal: of the organs being a hermaphrodite, of not being a ‘real’
woman. It’s very dramatic.”
Semenya’s uncle Lesiba Rammabi, 51, said her family were “humiliated” by
the reports and insisted they would never accept she was not female.
He said: “Caster is normal, inside and out. What does it matter whether
she can have babies or not? Many people cannot. Are those women not
women also?
“We are very humiliated by what has been said. This is a woman who was
raised a female.
“She will always be female, no matter what people say.”
IAAF Spokesman Nick Davies confirmed they received the gender test
results yesterday, but added: “Nothing will be announced until we are in
a position to have expert evaluation of the results and discuss them
with the athlete.
“We cannot give an exact timing, but probably within the next couple of
weeks.”
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