James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens was born in 1913 in Alabama in the United States. He’s considered by many as one of the greatest athletes of all time. He won 4 gold medals at the Olympic games in 1936 in Berlin (in then Nazi occupied Germany). He won the Gold medal in the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4 x 100m relay at the games. Jesse Owens received several tributes in his later years and following his death. In 1970 Jesse Owens was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in the US. President Gerald Ford Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to him in 1976. A. Mrkos at Klet discovered an asteroid in 1980 and named it after Jesse Owens. Jesse Owens died of lung cancer in 1980 after smoking for 35 years. Before his death in that year he was trying to convince then US President Jimmy Carter not to boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow (then in the USSR). A street close to the Olympic stadium in Berlin, Germany was named after Jesse Owens in 1984. In 1990 US President George H. W. Bush awarded the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Jesse Owens. Two US postage stamps have been issued to honor Jesse Owens, 1 in 1990 and 1 in 1998. At this year’s World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany all US Track and Field team members wore badges with “JO” to commemorate his victories in the same stadium 73 years ago.

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The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) will receive the results of a gender test done on 18 year old South African 800m athlete, Caster Semenya in the next few days. However, a spokes person for the IAAF has said that the anti-doping and medical experts at the IAAF will take about 2 weeks to analyze the results of the test. Only when this has been done, an educated decision will be made by them. The results of the tests will not be made public. This is not a doping case and is considered as a medical matter which requires patient confidentiality. The IAAF has confirmed that, whatever the result of the gender test, that Semenya will not be stripped of her gold medal. Outside experts have been commissioned by the IAAF to appease South Africa’s stinging criticism of the IAAF’s handling of the gender controversy. However, the IAAF has been subject to criticism from more than one source. Retired sprinter Michael Johnson has also criticized the IAAF about their handling of the issue. According to the IAAF the motivation for the test was not cheating, they wanted to determine whether Semenya has a chromosomal disorder which gives her an unfair advantage over other athletes. The whole issue sparked after it was revealed that Semenya was being gender tested without being told that she’s being gender tested.

Caster Semenya won the 800m Gold Medal at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany. She became the center of a political and press frenzy in August this year, when her gender was brought into question. Semenya previously participated in the 2008 World Junior Championships in Poland and won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. Her gender has been questioned because of her muscular build and deep voice. She has been featured in an article in the South African Magazine, YOU and has been quoted as answering “I see it all as a joke, it doesn’t upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself. I am who I am and I’m proud of myself” when she was asked about the whole gender row.

In my opinion, like most issues in the media, this has been given way too much attention, even though its controversial. For political and sports leaders to exploit this fiasco for political gain is just sick. Suddenly this is conveniently earmarked as racist and sexist behaviour by the IAAF by them. Some of the members of parliament in the South African government have even demanded a public apology by the IAAF. Hopefully this all will blow over soon. Judging by her reaction in YOU Magazine, Semenya is not letting the exploits in the media and by politicians get to her.

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