The only thing we know for sure about Caster Semenya, the world-champion sprinter from South Africa, is that she gets to live the rest of her life under a cloud of suspicion regarding her sex. Now that officials for track and field’s world governing body are investigating her sex, at best Semenya will face an asterisk in every biography and a question in every potential lover’s mind. At worst, she will perpetually be subjected to jeers and jokes. The I.A.A.F.’s process for determining whether Caster Semenya, second from left, is a woman will involve at least a geneticist, an endocrinologist, a gynecologist and a psychologist. Why? Because the track organization, the I.A.A.F., has not sorted out the rules for the sport of sex typing. Worse yet, the sport’s officials are playing by unstated, shifting standards. »
« After a lengthy stare down, the maître d’ shows you to your table. Once seated, you must adhere to two conditions: you will cook your own meal with your own ingredients, and no photography. If you refuse these terms, you will be warned that a crushing defeat will soon be brought down upon your soul. Don’t give in, though; stick to your guns (to coin a phrase), and ask calmly for a menu. But don’t press your luck by asking for water. This is very important.