Caster Semenya left out of South Africa athletics team for not clearing fitness tests
Caster Semenya can be unobjectionably acknowledged as one of those athletes who have carved their presence in the array of athletics in the least time possible. At the tender age of 19, this South African runner has received accolades at an unprecedented pace, not only serving as an inspiration for people her age, but also raising the flag and the morale of her country with unimagined pride.
A gold medal winner at the prestigious Commonwealth Games held in 2008, Caster Semenya continued her winning streak in 2009, accomplishing the feat of setting a national record and a championship record at the 2009 African Junior Championship, and then being adorned with another gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics in 2009. It is undeniable that her articulate skills and her continued thriving for victories have hailed her as athlete that the nation can be extremely proud of.
However, Semenya’s career took an unforeseen turn recently, not only forestalling her from representing her country at the continental competition known more commonly as the African Championships, but also dragging her in the midst of controversies that can serve as a handicap for her athletic opportunities in the future. Semenya suffered a major blow when following her wining streak, the International Association of Athletics Federation(IAAF) decided to proceed by carrying out tests that would serve as a verification of Caster Semenya’s gender.
Although this spurred several responses, with prominent South Africans including politicians and retired athletes blatantly opposing IAAF’s announcement, as a mere violation of Semenya’s privacy as well as an open testimony of racist attitudes, the IAAF decided to stick to its statement and went ahead with the tests. This came as a serious blow for Semenya, as she was denied the opportunity to participate in tournaments prior to the release of findings, the Yellow Pages Series V Track and Field event serving as a recent example. On the 6th of July, Caster Semenya was cleared by the IAAF, and therefore it has left many astound as to why she has still been prevented from engaging in the African Championships.
According to Richard Stander, a spokesman of the Athletics South Africa (ASA), an agreement has been reached in accordance with which Caster Semenya has been granted permission to compete in the Commonwealth Games to be held in India this year. The ASA has therefore claimed that it aims to provide Semenya with sufficient training time ahead of the tournament, thus labelling her withdrawal from the African Championship, as a means to fulfil the requirement for the Commonwealth Games.
However, recent speculations point otherwise: it has been brought to notice that Semenya failed a fitness test a day after she was cleared by the IAAF, raising eyebrows over her fitness, and granting the ASA with an opportunity to further dismantle Semenya’s career. This claim is further articulated by the factual knowledge that ASA has chosen to remain tight-lipped when asked to comment on the legal action. Semenya’s lawyers plan to pursue with in an attempt to reimburse the athlete with the loss of earnings she suffered as a result of being withdrawn.
Hence, the ASA has continued to provide ambiguous statements on this issue, siding at times with the IAAF’s gender tests and at other with the idea that Caster Semenya has been declared not in ‘good enough’ shape by the recently held fitness tests. Such dubious claims validate the idea that Semenya’s career continues to be uncertain, because although she has been provided with a green signal for the Commonwealth Games, the recent upheavals suggest that it has less to do with her failing to clear a fitness test, and more to do with the amount of influence exercised on the ASA by IAAF.
Whether Caster Semenya will be allowed to pursue her dreams without any hindrance ahead, and return with the glory that she is known for, is something that will only be discovered with time.
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