Officials were tight-lipped on Friday when asked whether athlete Caster Semenya can compete while her gender-verification tests are finalised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
“I don’t want to comment,” her coach, Michael Seme, said repeatedly when asked to clarify reports that Semenya planned to start competing again.
IAAF spokesperson Nick Davies would say only: “The official position of the IAAF is that we are not making any comment until we have resolved this case.”
Seme said he was en-route to Bloemfontein for an awards ceremony, accompanied by Semenya, but did not want to discuss that either.
Earlier in the week he was quoted as saying: “She will run in at least three Yellow Pages races this year.”
He continued: “We don’t have the fixtures yet, but we are sure she will run in the first meeting.”
He added that she was also planning to compete in international events.
“She received many invites after winning the world title, and even before that, but because of what happened she chose not to take part. But this year is different and she is planning to compete in some of those events.”
Last year Semenya’s gender was questioned after her race times improved significantly. After initially denying that they had run gender-verification tests on her, Athletics South Africa (ASA) finally admitted to doing so and apologised.
The top structure of the athletics body was subsequently suspended.
Beeld reported that the IAAF had no objection to her competing in the forthcoming Yellow Pages series.
The ASA did not want to comment immediately.
But ASA administrator Ray Mali has said that: “The IAAF has not told us she can’t run, so we must include her in the team.”
An Australian publication claimed last year that Semenya had elements of both the female and male genders. — Sapa