JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South African world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya was cleared yesterday to compete as a woman nearly a year after controversial gender tests put her career on hold.
Semenya, 19, has not run competitively since undergoing tests at the Berlin world championships last August.
“I am thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me,” Semenya said in a statement released by her lawyers.
Athletics South Africa said it was in contact with her coach to find out if Semenya could be included in the country’s squad to compete in the IAAF world junior championships in Canada this month.
ASA spokesman Richard Stander said the national governing body would conduct fitness tests on her in the next day to see if she was ready to compete.
“Caster has been a role model all along,” Stander told reporters. “(We) will do everything in our power to assist her and her coach to go and participate wherever she would like to prepare for the international event.”
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it accepted the findings of an expert medical panel.
“The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect,” the sport’s ruling body said in a statement.
LANDMARK SETTLEMENT
Lawyers acting for Semenya said the decision to allow her to compete came after a “landmark settlement” between the IAAF and the athlete. Semenya’s lawyer Greg Nott said details of the settlement would remain confidential. “Our direct negotiations with the IAAF representatives, through the mediator, have been ongoing for 10 months,” he said.
“Meetings have been held in Monaco, Istanbul and Paris, but due to the nature of the matter the parties resolved to keep the negotiations confidential.”
Semenya’s return to competitive athletics was delayed after her comeback event in Zaragoza, Spain was cancelled in May.
ASA had made it clear that Semenya was not banned from competition but said she had to wait for the results of her tests from the IAAF.
Semenya sprung to prominence last year with her rapid improvement over 800 metres. Her winning time in Berlin of one minute 55.45 seconds was the fastest of 2009.
“I think they treated her badly. I’m glad that it is over now,” her father Jacob Semenya told Reuters Television.
“I’m very happy that everything is going to be well for Caster now that she will be able to compete again.”
