CASTER SEMENYA was so humiliated when South African officials put her feet in stirrups for an examination and photographs were taken of her genitalia that she rang and sent text messages to friends to complain.
Semenya underwent the two-hour examination on August 7 at the Medforum Hospital in Pretoria, according to South African athletics team manager Wilfred Daniels, who was speaking to a local South African radio station.
Daniels's revelations have thrown the spotlight on Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene, who has repeatedly claimed that there was no testing done before the Berlin World Championships, where Semenya won the 800m title. Chuene has denied the testing took place.
Daniels has since quit his athletics position in protest at the treatment of Semenya before the world titles. He claims officials lied to her, telling her the tests were for doping reasons. Apparently present with Semenya at the time of the medical examination - ordered by the Athletics South Africa general manager, Molatelo Malehopo - were her coach Michael Seme and the South African team doctor Harold Adams.
Dr Adams is also the personal doctor of the South African president, Jacob Zuma.
Daniels said on radio: ''The worst part was that she thought she was going for doping tests … she was in no way prepared for what happened. The truth will come out when Caster finally gets the chance to say what happened.''
Daniels then told the newspaper Beeld: ''The tests took almost two hours and Semenya became frustrated and even angry over the humiliating nature of the tests. Her feet were in stirrups when the photographs were taken.''
IAAF officials ordered gender testing on Semenya the day of her 800m final following complaints from other countries. The IAAF has been trying to contact Semenya to organise a meeting but has been frustrated by the blocking tactics of South African officials. But a series of emails between Dr Adams and the IAAF from early August show South African officials were aware of the gender issue in relation to Semenya, yet allowed her to travel to the World Championships.
Adams is understood to have told the South African authorities back in August that Semenya should not compete in Berlin. Since the outcry about Semenya's victory and subsequent IAAF gender testing, Adams has yet to speak out.
Meanwhile Semenya, who has featured in a women's magazine, told the South African television show Eyewitness News that she had stopped reading papers and listening to radio broadcasts.
Email a friend