Share

Paula Radcliffe clarifies Caster comments

London - Marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe said on Friday that comments she made concerning Caster Semenya have been misrepresented after stating in a radio interview that the South African's current dominance in the 800m is "no longer sport."

Radcliffe said her remarks on Semenya being so dominant that she was expected to win the Olympic title next month were part of a longer live debate she took part in on the issue of hyperandrogenism in sport. Hyperandrogenism is a condition where a woman has much higher levels of testosterone than normal.

Semenya was ordered to undergo gender tests when she won the world title in 2009, and wasn't allowed to compete for 11 months after the tests.

The IAAF was forced to drop rules that limited testosterone levels in female athletes last year after they were challenged by another runner at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This season, Semenya has been clearly dominant. Last week, Semenya ran a personal best and her fastest time since the 2009 world championships

"I fear that when we talk about it in terms of fully expect no other result than Caster Semenya to win that 800m (at the Olympics), then it's no longer sport and it's no longer an open race," Radcliffe said in audio clips from the debate published by the BBC.

In the interview, Radcliffe also appeared to suggest hyperandrogenism could become similar to organised doping.

"I mean, we've seen the lengths that countries like Russia will go to to have major success on the world stage, on the Olympic stage. I think what worries me is we know that there are certain communities where the condition of intersex, of hyperandrogenism, is more prevalent," Radcliffe said.

"We don't want to get to the situation where people are actively going to those communities to seek out girls who look like they're going to be able to go out and perform, and to run fast, and then take them away and train them. It becomes a manipulated situation where they are being manipulated and the ethics of fair sport and fair play are being manipulated."

The clips from the radio show on Thursday appeared to have been edited, and in her statement on Friday, Radcliffe said: "...unless you listen to the entire debate, snippets taken and printed will entirely misrepresent what was said.

"I tried to get across how difficult and complicated the situation is and how finding a solution where nobody gets hurt is pretty much impossible," Radcliffe said.

Last year, the IAAF was forced to suspend the rules it had to control some female athletes' testosterone levels after they were challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport by another runner, India's Dutee Chand.

The IAAF said high testosterone levels give some female athletes an unfair advantage, but Chand challenged that assertion, and the IAAF was told to do more research to show how much advantage testosterone gives. In Chand's case, Radcliffe testified in support of the IAAF and the rules limiting testosterone. She said she and other top athletes felt women with hyperandrogenism had an unfair advantage in competition.

Semenya's career has been controversial since she emerged as an unknown 18-year-old and easily beat the field to win the world championships seven years ago.

Citing medical confidentiality, the IAAF has never released results of the tests performed on Semenya or details of her case.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1182 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1369 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2090 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE