She won the 800 meters at the 2009 IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Berlin convincingly, crushing her opponents and setting the best time in the world this year. But rather than receive plaudits for her victory, she is involved in controversy. They think she is a he!

Caster Semenya (photos below), man or woman? Caster Semenya is a South African runner who burst in to scene and stunned the world of track and field with her speed and strength. In the aftermath of her IAAF World’s victory, the governing body of
track and field has asked South Africa’s athletics federation to conduct a gender verification exam on their prized runner. Her deep voiced and masculine appearance have raised questions about her gender. Is she really a man or a woman? Or it is a case of ambiguous genitalia?

UPDATE: Tests concluded: Man and woman! runner Caster Semenya is hermaphrodite

Results of the test will take several weeks. As such, she was still allowed to run the finals of the recent World Championships pending verification of the results. The test involves a physical medical evaluation, along with reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, an internal medicine specialist, and an expert on gender intended to resolve issues of ambiguous genitalia.

A similar case has happened in the Philippines many years ago. A female athlete emerged from out of nowhere and beat everyone in track and field. Her name was Nancy Navalta. She looked masculine, sounded masculine, and her strength in sports was unbelievable. After tests were conducted, it was revealed that Nancy Navalta was genetically a male. In fact, she is a hermaphrodite but was raised by her parents as a girl. Is the case the same for Caster Semenya? That’s what we’ll find out in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, posted below are some Caster Semenya videos and photos from the recent World Championships.

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