Gender or Sex Verification of Athletes – Why?

[Natasha]

Gender or Sex Verification of Athletes – Why?

http://sundaystandard.info/news/news_item.php?NewsID=5684&GroupID=5
Dr Madisa Mine
8/30/09

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) recently confirmed that the South African gold medallist Caster Semenya at the world athletic championships in Berlin, Germany is to undergo gender verification test.

Caster clocked the fastest time this year – 1.55.45 in 800 m women's final, finishing two seconds ahead of the defending world champion. The call for gender verification was requested three weeks ago, following another equally impressive run by Caster in the junior games in Mauritius, winning a gold medal in the 800 metres in 1:56, 72 – then the fastest time by a woman in the world this year. Not so long ago, the same cloud that hangs over Caster Semenya hung over our own Tshotlego Morama.