Bizarre, International, Society

Record Bender or Gender Bender: South African Runner Faces Gender Testing

200px-20090819_Caster_SemenyaSouth African Caster Semenya, 18, is facing a rare legal challenge in her sports career. The problem is not drug testing but gender testing. Various people have accused Semenya of being a male and sports officials are planning gender testing to result the dispute.

This week Semenya took gold in the 800m World Athletics Championship in Berlin. Various people insisted that her muscular physique was that of a man. Her mother, however, insists that she is female (here): Mokgadi Caster is a girl and no one can change that.”

I fail to see why there is such suspicions after the run below in Berlin. She seems like a very muscular female to me. I was far more suspicious (and remain suspicious) of the Chinese gymnasts in the age controversy.

It turns out that a gender test is not just watching to see if she can sit through a full performance of “Pride and Prejudice” without fleeing the room. The testing takes several weeks to complete.

Molatelo Malehopo, general manager of Athletics South Africa, insists that she is a she: “We have not been absent-minded, we are very sure of her gender.”

For the full story, click here.

51 thoughts on “Record Bender or Gender Bender: South African Runner Faces Gender Testing”

  2. Leo writes: Now, that was just funny, especially given the topic of this thread.

    me: yeah. I know.

    Leo: I have got to admit, I have always admired a woman’s intuition.

    Thanks for the laughter.

    me: thanks, doll

  3. Thanks for your reply Jill.

    GWLSM

    “just because one or two women have a similar opinion about something is meaningless in the world of women.”

    Men across the world applaud that statement!

    “I’ve been a female all my life…”

    Now, that was just funny, especially given the topic of this thread.

    I have got to admit, I have always admired a woman’s intuition.

    Thanks for the laughter.

  4. FFLEO,

    Humans come in five sexes. We should make competitions that account for that reality instead of disqualifying someone based on errouneous and unsceintific gender stereotypes. As to fighting, women are as stupid as men. I don’t think any of it makes sense, but unless it is illegal to be that stupid, any of the five sexes should particpate in the “stupid” of their choice.

  5. Leo writes: Well, I never heard from Jill, or Lindy Lou, Sally Patty C et al. so I will just assume their comments would follow the other 2 females’ replies.

    while I would never presume to speak for others, let me give you a piece of advice about women. just because one or two women have a similar opinion about something is meaningless in the world of women. I’ve been a female all my life and I can’t predict what another woman might say or think on any topic. Not makeup-clothes-shoes-hair-what to serve for dinner let alone who else is a woman.

    🙂

  6. Well, I never heard from Jill, or Lindy Lou, Sally Patty C et al. so I will just assume their comments would follow the other 2 females’ replies.

  7. Leo writes: the stamina and courage it takes to fight with such intensity while bare-footed and without padded gloves and with almost no-holds-barred, unrestrained tactics, is admirable from an athletic standpoint.

    ohhhh. I get it now. these were women fighting. sorry. even more repulsive. why not just put a hidden camera in any hair salon the shoe dept at Saks and listen to women gossip ? that can be way more violent.

  8. GWLawSchoolMom,

    I also appreciated your reply. Since the point of my discussion was to look at the gene/DNA issue, your response and Pardon Me’s demonstrated that some of the women on this site do not watch fights, ergo perhaps gene/DNA related. I guess I should have known that, but Ms. Carano is so feminine that I assumed other women might not object to sport fighting. I know…

    Thanks again to both good sports.

  9. Leo writes: the stamina and courage it takes to fight with such intensity while bare-footed and without padded gloves and with almost no-holds-barred, unrestrained tactics, is admirable from an athletic standpoint.

    sorry doll, again. why not teach them a real sport that requires eye-hand cordination like darts or physical prowess like grand prix horse jumping? maybe fights are things that guys get like the three stooges.

  10. Leo writes: GWLSM et al. any comments about this fight?

    sorry doll. I don’t watch fights.

  11. From Wiki:
    __________________________________

    “Carano was born in Dallas County, Texas, the middle daughter of Glenn Carano and Dana Cason. She has two sisters.[2][3] Her father played for the Dallas Cowboys as a backup quarterback from 1977-1983 and for the USFL Pittsburgh Maulers as a starter in 1984, their only year of operations.”
    ___________________________________

Comments are closed.