The Home of South Africa's Gender Bending Runner

Caster Semenya won a gold medal by beating women who say she is a man. But she's still a hero at home. Where a gender-bending runner is the girl next door

Reuters

Nine days after she won the women's 800-m world championship as an all but unknown in Berlin, Caster Semenya returned home to the plains of Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa, to escape the uproar that had enveloped her since she'd crossed the finish line. Semenya, 18, finds herself as not only one of the world's best athletes but also among its most controversial, under investigation by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) not for cheating or doping but for allegedly not being female . "Coach used to tell me there are many ways to kill a cat,"...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!