NY Times · Aug 20, 2016
Who Gets to Race as a Woman?
As an Olympic qualifier, Caster Semenya of South Africa has had to face not only her competitors on the track but also critics around the world who claimed she wasn’t really female. Now the 25-year-old Ms. Semenya, who is favored to win gold in the 800 meters on Saturday, finds herself at the center of a debate about who gets to compete as a woman.
In 2009, after her victory in the 800 meters at the African Junior Championships, Ms. Semenya was tested to determine whether she was biologically female. The fact of the test — though not the results — was leaked to the media. She was allowed to return to competition, but this did not prevent widespread speculation about her body.