SEMENYA WILL WRITE EXAMS

Beleaguered South African running champion Caster Semenya has denied a report that she is too emotionally distraught to write her university exams.

On Thursday, Beeld newspaper said that Semenya’s coach, Michael Seme, told it that “She is mentally tired” following the international furore about her gender and sex.

According to Seme, “…the University of Pretoria understands her problems. They have made it clear to hear that exams are the last thing she needs to worry about right now. She will write her exams when she is ready.”

Semenya, who is a first year sports science student at the university, has subsequently told The Sowetan that she doesn’t know why Seme made the statement and that she will indeed write her exams.

“I have been studying hard and I am ready for my exams,” she said. “I do not want to speak about what is happening in my life but I can assure you that I’m fine.”

Semenya came to international prominence after winning gold in the 800 metres at the Berlin Athletics World Championships in August. This was in the wake of news that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) would test her to asses if she should compete as a woman.

Apparently leaked test reports from the IAAF suggest that Semenya does not have a womb or ovaries but does have internal testes.

Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) has called for the IAAF to declare the tests it conducted on Semenya as null and void saying that the correct procedures were not followed.

Athletics South Africa head Leonard Chuene has also been widely criticised after he admitted to having lied to the public about not knowing that Semenya had been gender tested in South Africa before she ran in Berlin.