An emotional Caster Semenya has lambasted world athletics boss Sebastian Coe for opening old wounds by effectively questioning her gender.
A statement released through her lawyers pointed out that the scars Semenya had developed over the past decade ran deep.
Semenya‚ who has challenged the IAAF’s proposed regulations for women athletes with differences in sexual development at world sport’s highest court in Lausanne, Switzerland‚ objected to Coe’s recent comments to The Daily Telegraph in Australia.
Of particular offence was the IAAF president’s comment: “The reason we have gender classification is because if you didn’t then no woman would ever win another title or another medal or break another record in our sport.”
The paper itself referred to “the muscle-packed Semenya”.
“Reading the comments of Mr Coe this weekend opened those old wounds and the reference by the Daily Telegraph [Australia] to ‘the musclepacked Semenya’ is just the latest illustration of how the issues have been distorted by innuendo‚” her lawyers said.
“Mr Coe is wrong to think Ms Semenya is a threat to women’s sport.
“Ms Semenya is a woman. There is no debate or question about this and the IAAF does not dispute this.
“She was born a woman‚ raised a woman‚ socialised as a woman and has competed as a woman her entire life.”
Her lawyers said Semenya still remembered how the story exposing her confidential medical information – leaked by the IAAF – broke out of Australia 10 years ago during the 2009 world championships in Berlin‚ where she burst onto the scene to win 800m gold.
At the medal ceremony she “stood in the middle of the stadium knowing that everyone watching was judging her”.
“She was 18 years old. The nature of the intrusive medical examinations that Ms Semenya was subjected to following the event were discussed publicly‚ including by the IAAF,” the statement said.
“The scars Ms Semenya has developed over the past decade run deep.
“She has endured and forged herself into a symbol of strength‚ hope and courage.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne is expected to rule on the matter by the end of April.
Scars run deep: Caster hits out at IAAF’s Coe
Image: Harold Cunningham / AFP
An emotional Caster Semenya has lambasted world athletics boss Sebastian Coe for opening old wounds by effectively questioning her gender.
A statement released through her lawyers pointed out that the scars Semenya had developed over the past decade ran deep.
Semenya‚ who has challenged the IAAF’s proposed regulations for women athletes with differences in sexual development at world sport’s highest court in Lausanne, Switzerland‚ objected to Coe’s recent comments to The Daily Telegraph in Australia.
Of particular offence was the IAAF president’s comment: “The reason we have gender classification is because if you didn’t then no woman would ever win another title or another medal or break another record in our sport.”
The paper itself referred to “the muscle-packed Semenya”.
“Reading the comments of Mr Coe this weekend opened those old wounds and the reference by the Daily Telegraph [Australia] to ‘the musclepacked Semenya’ is just the latest illustration of how the issues have been distorted by innuendo‚” her lawyers said.
“Mr Coe is wrong to think Ms Semenya is a threat to women’s sport.
“Ms Semenya is a woman. There is no debate or question about this and the IAAF does not dispute this.
“She was born a woman‚ raised a woman‚ socialised as a woman and has competed as a woman her entire life.”
Her lawyers said Semenya still remembered how the story exposing her confidential medical information – leaked by the IAAF – broke out of Australia 10 years ago during the 2009 world championships in Berlin‚ where she burst onto the scene to win 800m gold.
At the medal ceremony she “stood in the middle of the stadium knowing that everyone watching was judging her”.
“She was 18 years old. The nature of the intrusive medical examinations that Ms Semenya was subjected to following the event were discussed publicly‚ including by the IAAF,” the statement said.
“The scars Ms Semenya has developed over the past decade run deep.
“She has endured and forged herself into a symbol of strength‚ hope and courage.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne is expected to rule on the matter by the end of April.
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