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Berlin. One year later, South African runner Caster Semenya is in a more secure place, but her rivals in the 800 meters are not.

After a forced 11-month absence from the event that she had bolted from obscurity to dominate, Semenya returned to competition last month after receiving confirmation from track and field’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations, that she could compete as a woman.

On Sunday, on the same blue track in the Olympic Stadium where she won a world title last August, Semenya won the 800m again in a one-day meet.

Her competitors, sharply critical when she emerged last year, were still voicing concerns, even though Semenya’s winning time of 1 minute 59.90 seconds was over four seconds slower than her winning time last year and even though she had to come from behind on the final straightaway to win by a much smaller margin.

Jemma Simpson of Britain, who finished fourth on Sunday in 2:00.57, said that although she felt sorry for Semenya because of the scrutiny she had endured in the last year, other competitors had been slighted in the search for justice for Semenya.

“It’s obviously a human rights issue, but human rights affect everyone in the race, not just one person,” Simpson said. “For the rest of the field, it gets ignored.”

Simpson conceded that the issue was “really tough” and that Semenya had a right to privacy, but she said it would be easier to accept the IAAF’s decision to allow Semenya to compete if there had been some public explanation for the ruling’s rationale. When the IAAF cleared Semenya to compete as a woman in July, it did not release test results or provide details of its methodology.

Raised as a woman in rural South Africa, Semenya has long faced questions about her sex.

During South African junior competitions, rival coaches and competitors sometimes asked for proof that she was female.

The issue became a global talking point last year after she broke free of a strong field early on the final lap in Berlin and won by over two seconds, on the same day the IAAF confirmed reports that she had been asked to submit to sex determination tests.

Though she was awarded her gold medal in Berlin, Semenya, then 18 years old, was not allowed to conduct a post-race press conference after track and field officials became concerned that she would not be able to cope with the controversy.

But Semenya spoke freely after her victory on Sunday with her agent, Jukka Harkonen, by her side. “I did not think about everything that happened after my gold medal,” she said. “I just concentrated on the race. My goal was to run under two minutes, and I achieved that.”

Her troubles have not yet been good for business, even though a documentary film will soon be released. Harkonen estimated that Semenya’s inability to compete for almost a year cost her $250,000 in lost appearance fees and prize money.

But it has certainly raised awareness of the complexity of determining sex as well as raising her profile in her sport.

Semenya received a loud ovation from the crowd when she was introduced.

Simpson said that although there were plenty of curiosity-seekers staring at Semenya in the call-up room, the other competitors treated her normally.

In her third race of the season, Semenya broke the two-minute barrier with only a few weeks of training under her belt.

“It is certainly frustrating to run against somebody who seems to be doing it effortlessly,” said Canadian Diane Cummins, who finished eighth in the race.

“We all honestly believe that Semenya, pushed to her absolute potential, could break the world record — and that’s 1:53. From that perspective, she is far superior than any female 800m runner we’ve ever had,” she said.

 

The New York Times