Did the IAAF Treat Caster Semenya Fairly?

There was an interesting article on the front page of the National Post sports section this morning about Caster Semenya of South Africa, winner of the gold medal in the women's 800 Metres at the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships.

According to reports, the International Association of Athletics Federations was preparing to disqualify Semenya, 18, from future events after gender tests uncovered evidence that she has no womb or ovaries, and carries both male and female sexual organs, and is in fact a hermaphrodite. Click here to read the article.

This raises some interesting questions of debate that would be a great exercise to discuss with your Exercise Science students. Ask your students how they feel about the way the IAAF handled this situation.

1. Do they think the IAAF handled the situation properly?
2. Should she have been disqualified?
3. If the advantage that she has is due to biological and therefore natural causes, then isn't it the same level of advantage as having longer legs than another?
4. How could you relate Caster's story to another athlete's situation, like for example, Lance Armstrong's story?