Semenya pulls out of 4km race

Sep 11, 2009 4:56 PM | By Sapa

South African middle distance runner Caster Semenya has withdrawn from the women's 4km race at the South African Cross Country Championships in Pretoria on Saturday.

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South Africa's Caster Semenya after competing in a Women's 800m semifinal at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Monday, August 17, 2009.
Photograph by: Anja Niedringhaus
Credit: AP

Semenya has not competed since winning the world 800m title in Berlin last month in the midst of an ongoing controversy

surrounding her gender.

Australian media claimed on Friday that the IAAF had received results of gender verification tests that prove Semenya is partly genetically male and that the 18-year-old faces a possible ban from competing against women.

On Friday morning Athletics South Africa cancelled a press conference scheduled with Semenya in Pretoria on Saturday, and later in the afternoon her coach, Michael Seme, confirmed she would not take part in her last race of the season.

"We have decided that Caster will not run tomorrow," Seme said.

When pushed for a reason, he added that she was "not feeling well."

Comments

Sep 11 2009 05:23:10 PM
Matshelane

Not feeling well ?
Perhaps a touch of PMT ?

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Sep 11 2009 07:19:55 PM
Mommacyndi

If I had to deal with all this, I'd feel sick to my stomach as well
Poor kid

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Sep 11 2009 07:44:04 PM
WARRA-WARRA

Not feeling well, why?
Sue the pants off ASA!

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Sep 11 2009 07:57:33 PM
hoodoo

ASA has alot to awnser for....

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Sep 11 2009 08:37:52 PM
Gumdrop

It's a sad reality in terms of Caster's future athletics career and it is simply disgusting at how she has been maltreated by these ANC politicians and sporting bodies, but not all is forlorn for her - she is in an incredibly powerful position to make some good out of all this.
Let us just pray she can make it through this initial publicity storm with her chin up.

The bottom line is she is who she is and no matter what people are incredibly proud of her.