Looking relaxed but shy and awkward under the glare of media attention,South African runner Caster Semenya returned home on Tuesday amid questions about her gender after her stunning 800m win at the world championships and South Africa's president vowed that he would not permit her gold medal to be taken away,no matter what gender tests say. The president of Athletics South Africa,Leonard Chuene,was also defiant and said he had resigned from his seat on the IAAF board to protest the organisations treatment of Semenya. We are not going to allow Europeans to describe and define our children, he told a news conference. Semenyas victory in Berlin came after world athletics officials said they were conducting gender tests after questions arose about her muscular build and deep voice. South Africans have embraced her achievement despite the questions. Semenya was greeted warmly at the airport in Johannesburg by several thousand singing and dancing fans. A homemade poster held by a fan at the airport declared Semenya our first lady of sport. The 18-year-old,dressed in her team tracksuit with her gold medal around her neck,then was brought to a stage set up in the parking lot. Hi everybody, Semenya told the roaring crowd. Standing in a row with other South African medalists,she gave a thumbs-up sign and waved to the crowd. The smiling teenager also joined in the dancing for a short while before being embraced by her younger siblings. Semenya was welcomed home by her parents and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela,the former wife of the countrys first black president Nelson Mandela. We are here to tell the whole world how proud we are, said Madikizela-Mandela. They can write what they like we are proud of her. Semenyas mother Dorcus stood beaming at her daughter. She has lifted our hearts, she said. We feel powerful because of her. On Tuesday,Semenya spoke very briefly at the presidential guest house in Pretoria after South African President Jacob Zuma gave a speech celebrating the athletes return. She said that before her final 800m race,her coach told her,Last 200,kill them. I did what he said,but I took a lead in the last 400. I celebrated the last 200. It was great, she said with a smile. Zuma said South Africas minister of sport and recreation has written to the IAAF to express our disappointment and the manner in which the body has dealt with the matter, he said. It is one thing to seek to ascertain whether or not an athlete has an unfair advantage over others,but it is another to publicly humiliate an honest professional and competent athlete. The IAAF,track and fields governing body,will decide Semenyas case according to whether her conditions.accord no advantage over other females after consulting a gynaecologist,an endocrinologist,a psychologist,an internal medicine specialist and a gender expert.
