“I think we need separate events for them and for us”, Lupu told reporters, referring to female athletes who have high testosterone levels. Previous year she did not reach the final of the World Championships in Beijing, but the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) of an Indian athlete, Dutee Chand, came to her aid.
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When all three athletes were asked about the controversy and whether they had been made to take medication, Semenya replied: “Tonight is all about performance, we’re not here to talk about the IAAF, some speculations, this press conference is all about the 800m we ran today”.
“On my visit at the Athletes’ Village in Rio, I met Caster Semenya together with Team South Africa”. Many people said it was discriminatory for athletics organizations to try to penalize Ms. Semenya for a natural condition.
“I think it was a wise decision (to pull out of the 400m) because the heat was just insane”. As much as you have fun in training. “That’s what I want to say”.
Her time was two seconds adrift of the world record of 1:53:28, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova, running for Czechoslovakia, in July 1983.
Dogged by detractors who questioned her womanhood and demanded tests and treatment, South African runner Caster Semenya has rallied her nation behind her and triumphed with a gold medal, eloquently responding to her critics by telling the world that sports is “all about loving one another”.
“To be honest we did not focus on breaking the world record”.
Semenya, whose physical appearance is androgynous astonished observers at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin 2009 by her superiority on the track. The field is fantastic, great runners, so the best you can do is stay in control, pace yourself well, and then utilise it when you can do better.
“My coach just told me to be patient and wait for the right moment”. People should learn how to unite.
“The thing I’m most happy with this week is to get through the rounds clean after the disappointment a year ago”. It’s always great to perform, make the podium, and yeah, gold, silver, and bronze, will also encourage other nations, Asia, America to do better.
Her victory in the 800-metre finals was broadcast in the middle of the night in South Africa but the entire nation seemed to set its alarm for 2 a.m. on Saturday night so that it could watch her win the gold. I just focus on those things.
Since then Semenya has been head and shoulders above her rivals and is nearly a full second quicker than anyone else this season.
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She said it was about running a race and winning a gold medal, and not about the debate over testosterone and the IAAF’s desire to regulate it in some women.
