Athletics writers Scott Gullan and Glen Foreman
August 19, 2009 10:00am
UPDATE: SOUTH African Caster Semenya, the female runner embroiled in a gender verification probe, looks set to continue to compete at the world titles.
It is still unclear whether the sport's governing body, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), will act on the issue before the final or take the conservative approach and wait until after the championships. But as it sits, Semenya will contest in the women's 800m final. The 18-year-old gold medal favourite has burst on to the world scene in recent months, with her appearance, including obvious facial hair, and muscular build igniting speculation about her gender. The IAAF is aware of the issue and has conducted physical tests and genetic screening to try to determine the legitimacy of Semenya's sex. An overnight meeting of officials in Berlin was expected to determine whether she takes her place in Thursday's 800m final.
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