Third World War

Our gal no hermaphrodite

"She may be a hermaphrodite, but so what? She is still a girl"

Semenya was due to run in a 4km race at the national cross-country championships in Pretoria on Saturday but was withdrawn by her coach, Michael Seme, on the grounds that she was "not feeling well".

What's with these dreadfully unfortunate names? I'd boo and hiss if Private Eye came up with them for a spoof about ... well, an athlete accused of having crossover wotsits ... what? Semenya for the gurl and Seme for her coach? Semen, ya?

And the quotes are just as bad, such as that, "Even if Semenya has an unfortunate "proportion of hormones ... she is still "a young girl enjoying growing up"

And what's with all this believing that, "the teenager's human rights have been violated and that she was not given a chance to understand what the gender testing was all about."

But the quote we all thrilled to was, of course, that "South Africa will fight back if Semenya is excluded from further competition ... It will be a third world war." Of course it will, the darlings - and more divine sound bites.

(Yo! Grrreat makeover)

"Where is the science that says hermaphrodites have an advantage?"

Hermaphrodite - I'm finding some folks around the bars don't actually know the definition of the current buzz A-word.

Ἀφροδίτη - naturellement, I must also cover the name.