Berlin: South African teenager Caster Semenya isn't too bothered by the gender row that has erupted. But the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has been criticised for dealing with the matter insensitively.
Semenya has gone from a complete unknown to being the women's 800 metres world champion in under a year. But now she is at the centre of a storm after the IAAF's decision to order a gender test on her.
IAAF's decision has not gone down well with many are criticising the way the IAAF has dealt with the matter.
"It needs a thorough consultation, but to me, more than anything, you remain innocent until proven guilty. But in this particular case you are guilty before you are put into court," says South African Athletics Federation President Leonard Chuene.
Semenya has dismissed the matter saying, "I don't give a damn about it."
The Government of South Africa has thrown its weight behind her so have Olympic gold medalists like Michael Johnson and Tessa Sanderson of Britian.
"I mean this young girl is 17, 18. She has come out now on the world stage, she has competed and won the event and now the whole world won't be talking that she ran superbly at the 800 metres and won by miles, they will be talking whether she is a woman, or a fully woman or has got a lot of male chromosomes in there and shouldn't be running in the race and I think that's really, really sad," Sanderson, who won the javelin gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, says.
The gender test was ordered much before the world championships but because of their complex nature the results will take some time and till then the speculation will continue. So will the trauma for Semenya.
Despite being under the cloud for a gender test Semenya smiled and waved to the crowd as she accepted the gold medal in the women's 800 metres.
Back home in South Africa her father Jacob Semenya remains proud of his daughter's performance but says he felt insulted by the way in which his 18-year-old daughter was being treated by the IAAF.
Jacob says that Caster's physique looks like that of a man adding that her built resembled his own physique.
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