Let's Talk About Sex...

This article was written in October 2009 for THE HARE Newspaper

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Caster Semenya. The shy, humble, undeniably talented South African teenager rose from obscurity and endured the kind of press scrutiny that would test the sanity of the most seasoned Hollywood A-list star.

When Semenya stormed to the world 800m gold, nations stood and applauded, but she has since been the subject of a startling controversy, the likes of which almost unknown.

Her crime? Well, smuggling, in a sense. Her illicit cargo? A pair of reproductively useless testes, responsible for generating three times the amount of testosterone than is ‘natural’ for a woman to produce.
The revelation of Semenya’s (still medically unconfirmed) intergender status has unfortunately overshadowed what should have been a blistering entry in the history books.

Firstly there was the issue of her being allowed to keep her gold medal. Thankfully the IAAF has had the laudable sense and (pardon the insensitivity) balls to come out and say that regardless of her future eligibility to compete as a woman, she should be allowed to hold on to her medal. But the question of her career being allowed to continue still hangs in the balance.

Whatever the test results, the IAAF will have a decision to make. If (and it is a big if) Semenya is declared a woman they must decide whether she should be allowed to compete given her huge physiological advantage. Is it the responsibility of the IAAF’s to maintain a ‘level playing field’, but the definition of such uniformity is, in itself, open for debate. Their problem arises from Semenya’s fellow athletes’ displeasure at being asked to compete with someone who is at such a patent physiological advantage. But that’s kind of the point of sport: to find the best natural athlete. The IAAF’s responsibilities should extend to the point of ensuring no athlete is ingesting banned substances that artificially enhance their ability to perform, not to discriminate against those who are born with capabilities superior to their peers. The worst thing they could do for their rep would be to ask her to take drugs to suppress her natural advantage.

But is she a woman? There are all sorts of ethical, philosophical and sociological ways to approach this question, but the only definition that matters in this case is biological.

As it stands, athletes can compete as men or women. Seems simple enough: if she’s a man, let her race with the boys, if not…well, give it five years and Jenny Meadows will be as well accustomed to the sight of Semenya’s taught cheeks as Roger Black was to Michael Johnson’s.

But what if she’s neither? Unless things change, she might not be eligible for either category. Although it may seem a devastating outcome for Semenya, it may well be the best for the IAAF. Such a result would hand them an opportunity to tinker with the set-up of athletics and move the boundaries of a divide which many believe to have been outdated for sometime.

Given the increasing crossover of female athletes who are comparable in ability to their male counterparts, an open classification – in which any gender could compete – has been suggested. That alone would marginalise women and send us back to the dark ages, but if such a classification was to replace the exclusively male category, many modern day quibblers might be silenced and Paula Radcliffe – Britain’s best marathon runner, period – would be able to teach our men a thing or two. Women who were good enough would be able to let their talents do the talking and would, hopefully, justify the complaints of forward-thinking detractors who claim that sport is lagging behind the times and still rampantly misogynist.
And maybe Semenya would get a reprieve. Granted it would mean the end of her dominance – she is barely average when compared to men – but her livelihood would be restored, and maybe, in time, her confidence and integrity would be too. To come back from such an ordeal would arguably be her greatest achievement yet. Such a show of character requires serious cojones. Fortunately for Semenya and for all of us who want to see the limit of what this truly singular talent is capable, she will not be found lacking.

Update as of 6th July 2010

News has been leaked today that Caster Semenya will iminently be cleared to race as a woman, ending her eleven month exile from the sport. Semenya, 19, is apparently waiting for formal confirmation of her reinstatement. Let us welcome back this remarkable talent and hope that she can continue to produce at the level that catapulted her to international attention. Well done ot the IAAF too for handling this case with as much discretion and sensitivity as was possible. Hopefully Semenya's case and the lessons learned from it will mean that any future scenarios in this mould will be resolved in a swifter manner.


Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day; Bar Centro; or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.

E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.