S. Africa athletics chief keeps job after admitting to lying over sex tests on top runner
By APThursday, September 24, 2009
SAfrica track chief keeps job after sex-test flap
JOHANNESBURG — An athletics official says South Africa’s athletics chief is keeping his job even though he admitted to lying about his role in gender tests done on runner Caster Semenya.
Athletics South Africa board member Chris Britz said Leonard Chuene retained his leadership position during a closed-door ASA council meeting on Thursday.
The move comes despite calls from the government sports ministry and several opposition parties for the ASA to fire Chuene.
Semenya won the 800-meters at the world championships in Berlin in August. The International Association of Athletics Federations said before the final that they had ordered gender tests because of her muscular physique and stunning improvement in times.
Chuene repeatedly said Semenya’s gender tests were done abroad. He later admitted knowing of tests conducted in South Africa.
