Caster Semenya row: SA athletics chief faces sack

Pressure was growing this morning on Athletics South Africa to sack its president, Leonard Chuene, after he revealed at the weekend that he had lied to the government and the media about gender tests on Caster Semenya, controversial winner of the women's 800m at the recent Berlin world championships.

Chuene is accused of putting his desire for a gold medal before any thoughts for the well-being of the 18-year-old runner who as a result of the controversy is now in virtual hiding.

The Sowetan reports South Africa's deputy minister of sport, Gert Oosthuizen, saying of Chuene: "He must go now."

"We have on two occasions requested a report from Chuene on what happened before, during and after Berlin and we still have not received it," Oosthuizen said.

Chuene had publicly and vociferously denied that any gender tests were carried out on Semenya before she won the 800m title in August. When the world governing body, the IAAF, called for tests after rivals in Berlin said they did not believe Semenya was a woman, Chuene expressed outrage.

But on Saturday he admitted having lied all along. The cover-up had come to light the previous day when leaked e-mails between ASA officials surfaced. These showed that a Pretoria clinic had discovered that Semenya did, as many suspected, display 'intersex' or 'hermaphrodite' characteristics. She had internal testes and produced abnormal amounts of testosterone for a woman.

It is now known that as a result of the gender test, South Africa's team doctor, Harold Adams, said Semenya should not run in the women's 800m in Berlin. Chuene overruled him.

The Times reports today that Semenya is being looked after by the Pretoria University athletics club where she trains. Hugo Badenhorst, director of development at the club, said: "She's well. She is training lightly. But we are looking after her. Everything that happens is being carefully explained to her - we have a professional team working around her."