South African athlethe may not be a female

Semenya told to take gender test

South Africa's 800m World Championships finalist Caster Semenya has been asked to take a gender verification test, according to athletics' governing body.

The International Association of Athletics Federations says it demanded the test three weeks ago amid fears she should not be able to run as a woman.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said the "extremely complex, difficult" test results were not due for several weeks.

South Africa's athletics federation has denied such a test has been demanded.

The 18-year-old Semenya is considered a favourite to win gold in Wednesday's 800m final in Berlin.

She burst onto the world stage earlier this year, running 1.56.72 in Bambous three weeks ago, smashing her previous personal best by more than seven seconds.

She also broke Zola Budd's long-standing South African record and arrived here as the newly-crowned African junior champion.

If it's a natural thing and the athlete has always thought she's a woman or been a woman, it's not exactly cheating

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies

"In the case of this athlete, following her breakthrough in the African junior championships, the rumours, the gossip was starting to build up," added Davies.

"The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure. The situation today is that we do not have any conclusive evidence that she should not be allowed to run."

A group of doctors, including an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist, have started the procedure but it is uncertain when the results will be known.

"It would be wrong today to take a decision to withdraw an athlete," said Davies, who said this was not a mandatory or compulsory test and the athlete was in no way suspected of cheating.

"This is a medical condition. It is nothing that she has done. There is a need to make sure rules are followed.

"We are more concerned for the person and not to make this as something that is humiliating."