21 Nov 2009

South Africa's Semenya to keep her 800 metres world title

8:32 am on 21 November 2009

The International Association of Athletics Federations has agreed that South African runner Caster Semenya will keep her 800 metres world title.

The 18-year-old Semenya, who stormed to victory in August's world championships in Berlin, underwent gender verification tests this summer in South Africa and Germany and a panel of experts has been studying the results for the IAAF.

South Africa's government, Semenya's lawyers and the IAAF had reached total agreement that she will retain her gold medal, title and prize money because she has been found "innocent of any wrong".

Agreement was also reached with the IAAF that scientific gender tests conducted on Semenya will be treated as confidential and there will be no public announcement of the results.

Australia's Daily Telegraph, citing an unnamed source, reported in September that Semenya was a hermaphrodite with both male and female sexual characteristics.

The IAAF has not confirmed the report.

Semenya and family members say the runner is female and that publicity surrounding the case has caused hardships.