Caster Semenya: top athletics official admits lying over gender tests

Caster Semenya arriving back in Johannesburg last month. Photograph: Siphewe Sibeko/Reuters

South Africa's top athletics official is fighting for his political life after admitting that he lied over gender tests on runner Caster Semenya.

The South African government today led calls for Leonard Chuene to resign as president of Athletics South Africa, and the ruling African National Congress described ASA's handling of the affair as "disgusting". But the beleaguered official remained defiant, insisting that he will not "jump ship".

A leaked email exchange last week forced Chuene to admit that he knew women's 800m champion Semenya had undergone a gender test prior to the world championships, something he had always publicly denied. He claimed that he kept the information secret to safeguard the 18-year-old's privacy.

Gert Oosthuizen, South Africa's deputy sports minister, expressed frustration that even the government was in the dark and demanded that Chuene fall on his sword.

"Mr Chuene has not only lied to us at the ministry, but to the whole country, and this is not acceptable," Oosthuizen said. "We are convinced that the perpetual denial of the knowledge of these tests have fuelled the continuous violation of Ms Semenya's rights and dignity, by foreign and some local media."

Full story @ 'The Guardian'