South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) says its impressed with the medal count, and Lewis predicts the tally will be even higher in at the next Games with new talent emerging.
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There had been concerns before the Games that Semenya would need protection from the scrutiny she would face if she won the Olympic gold.
The final is on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro (SA time is 2.15am‚ early hours of Sunday morning). That didn’t make it any less impressive, or any less contentious. Semenya, 26, was born with naturally occurring, atypically elevated levels of testosterone in her body, a congenital condition called hyperandrogenism.
In a brief, three-sentence statement, the IAAF announces that Semenya is cleared to compete again against other women, almost a year after her gold at the worlds.
Her view: Semenya has previously said: “I think sports are meant to unite people”. It is not about looking at how people look, how they speak, how they run, it is not about being muscular.
25 year-old Semeyna, who has previously been subjected to gender tests to investigate if she should be competing in the women’s event, set a national record in claiming her gold medal. Katie Ledecky has been amazingly dominant in her sport, much more than Semenya in hers. “We just have to utilize it”.
The IAAF implemented regulations created to cap testosterone levels in female athletes in 2011, but that move was later suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But one of the unheralded South African stars of the Rio Olympics will be in action this weekend.
It was only later that the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that there was no link between higher testosterone and higher performance and suspended the rules for two years.
Her “intersex” condition of hyperandrogenism gives her testosterone levels that are three times those usually found in women and approaching those of a man.
Many also believe it left Semenya, an outstanding athlete, unbeatable.
South Africa’s most talked about and arguably most celebrated athlete took home Olympic gold in 1:55.28, a personal best and new South African record. She also produced her trademark celebration: She pulled her arms up and flexed her bicep muscles, then brushed her hands across her shoulders – the way she brushed off her rivals.
“But to run faster than I ever had before in the Olympic final is the best I could do”. “It was just about being patient and do what you do best”.
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A slow and cautious start to the race was broken when Niyonsaba pulled away shortly after the bell, but Semenya was on her tail and soon picked up the pace to overtake the runner from Burundi and opened up a massive lead that saw her cross the line five meters clear of the competition. Others refused to talk about the testosterone issue. But though the debate around her will continue until the authorities find a solution to whether the testosterone her condition creates must be controlled, her performance was lovely in its athleticism and intelligence. “It was to be expected that everybody would be there”. The coach told me to go out there and had fun, and fortunately my last 200m was stronger, but the ladies are strong, did a fantastic job, so well done to them.
