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Hero's welcome for Caster Semenya

25 August 2009

It was an emotional homecoming for South Africa's 800 metres women's world champion, Caster Semenya, at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday after her triumphant performance in Berlin was all but overshadowed by a controversy over her gender.

Semenya, along with men's 800 metres world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, men's long jump silver medalist Kgotso Mokoena and the rest of their teammates touched down in Johannesburg on Tuesday after competing in the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

Chaos erupted as the hundreds of sports fans who had descended on the airport jostled to get a closer glimpse of the 18-year-old from South Africa's Limpopo province as she entered the airport arrivals hall.

Police had to hold onto the athlete as she was whisked away to an informal stage, where the team was welcomed by Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Nolunthando Mayende-Sibiya, before Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene addressed the media.

'Local media the first to raise gender issue'

Chuene told the gathered journalists that the story questioning Semenya's gender had emanated from South Africa and not Australia, as was earlier claimed.

"I have evidence to that effect that a local media organisation approached the IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federations] as early as March asking questions about this girl," Chuene said.

The IAAF unleashed a storm when it announced last week, on the same day that Semenya won her gold medal, that it was conducting gender tests on the athlete.

'We weren't informed of tests'

Chuene reiterated that Athletics South Africa (ASA) was not informed that tests were being conducted. "We didn't know; no one protested about the girl, and we were not informed of any tests," Chuene said when asked why the ASA did not try to prevent the IAAF from conducting the tests.

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee President Gedion Sam and Semenya's family were among the people who attended the packed media conference.

Semenya sat quietly beside Chuene and appeared relaxed.

After the press conference, the team left the airport for the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, where they were due to be officially congratulated by President Jacob Zuma.

Source: BuaNews