Questions Remain Over Runner's Gender

(CBS)  Questions continue to swirl around an 18-year-old runner from South Africa about whether she's really a woman.

After her win in the 800-meter race at the world championships in Berlin, controversial athlete Caster Semanya arrived home in South Africa Tuesday morning, not yet able to put questions about her gender behind her.

As CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports, the crowd waiting to greet the young athlete had no doubts: Caster is a woman, they proclaimed and entitled to compete as one.

"A young girl from the village of Limpopo to rise up to become the best athlete of the year we are very, very proud of her," explained Joy Matshoge from the African National Congress Women's League.

South African officials are outraged that not only have questions been raised, but that they have been made public, embarrassing Caster.

Julius Malema, leader of the African National Congress Youth League League, said, "She is a female, she won, and therefore we are going to support her and please stop bothering her. You must give her a chance to celebrate her victory."

Questions began when she beat the reigning world champion in Berlin by 2.4 seconds. Because of her masculine build and deep voice she was asked to undergo gender testing.

"It's not just a case of pulling down somebody's shorts or have a quick blood test. There are people there who will be psychologists, endocrinologists, there will be internal medical specialists as well because all the plumbing, all the internal bits and bobs could be male, could be female, who knows - but it will need a team of experts," explained gender psychologist Nick Neave.

Caster and her coaches say her spectacular success is a result of hard work and training. Before Berlin, even she didn't think she was good enough to beat the best in the world

"I know I'm still young, 18 years old it would be a surprise," she said this past March.

In her home village, there are no doubts. Caster's birth certificate clearly labels her "female," and those that grew up with her say she's all girl.

South Africa has vowed to defend her, and to celebrate her.

There is no suggestion that Caster has cheated by taking drugs. The suspicion here is that she might have a medical condition that effectively blurs her gender, and gives her an unfair advantage over other female competitors.

Gender, it turns out, is a lot more complicated than the double-X chromosome of a female, or the XY of a male.

[heresmy2cent]

Whatever happened to common sense?

Does this person have a ***** and testicles? Or is "she" some kind of "man-made" freak female that was created in an operating room by "doctors?"

This story shows how insane our world has become when we have to bring in a "psychologist" to "decide" a person's gender.

[endurorob]

I have looked at numerous photos of this person and in all of them the build and facial features are masculin. I see absolutely nothing femanin.