Gender questions behind her, South African Semenya advances

By Yoo Jee-ho
DAEGU, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South African runner Caster Semenya, once embroiled in a controversy over her sex, advanced to the semifinals of the 800-meter race on Thursday at the World Championships in Athletics, getting her title defense off to a solid start.
Semenya clocked in at 2 minutes and 01.01 seconds, finishing second behind Mariya Savinova of Russia in their heat in a photo finish.
Semenya won the 800 meters at the 2009 worlds in Berlin with the then-season best time of 1:55.45. Then a little-known teenager, Semenya quickly found herself in a dispute over her sex because of her muscular build and a sudden rise to the top.
Semenya was kept out of competition for 11 months until July 2010 following sex tests, but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said results will not be released for privacy reasons.
The 20-year-old has since struggled to recapture her form from 2009 and also fought a back injury. But on Thursday, she had little trouble reaching the semis.
"I wasn't under any pressure; I was focused all the way," she told reporters through a translator. "This race was not a big deal. I was very relaxed. The next step is to go back and focus on the semifinals."
After her race, Semenya quickly walked past a throng of reporters, simply shaking her head to interview requests in the mixed zone, where journalists stand around behind barricades and wait for athletes to speak on their way to lockers. She only stopped when a South African reporter speaking the same Sepedi language got her attention.
The semis are set for Friday and the final will be Sunday, the last day of the championships.