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Sport Today: Caster Semenya 'humiliated' by Gender Questioning

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20/05/2015

Caster Semenya 'humiliated' by Gender Questioning

BBC World Service - Sport Today, Caster Semenya 'humiliated' by Gender Questioning

Semenya says she was humiliated by questioning of her gender following 2009 Worlds gold

Semenya says she was humiliated by questioning of her gender following 2009 World Championships gold.

Caster Semenya has told the BBC that she was humiliated by the public questioning of her gender following her victory at the 2009 World Championships. Even before she raced that 800 metres final in Berlin, news had broken that the sport's world governing body was investigating her gender.

In a rare interview, the 24-year-old said she may not have survived the resulting controversy had it not been for the support of her family. Semenya was just 18 when she was asked to undergo a series of gender verification tests. The alternative was not being allowed to compete at all.

She returned to win World silver in 2011 and another silver at London 2012. Now, with a new coach and again in a World Championship year, she hopes to rediscover the form of six years ago. Our sports news reporter, Ben Smith, went to meet her in the University town of Potchefstroom in South Africa.

(Photo: Caster Semenya of South Africa celebrates winning silver in the Women's 800m Final at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

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