Caster Semenya. I'm Not Happy.

I want to know who prompted the investigation into 18-year-old Caster Semenya's gender after she won the gold. From the looks of it, girlfriend won the women's 800 meters in the World Championship on Wednesday and some unidentified sore loser has a big enough chip on her shoulder to start an investigation that will undoubtedly turn into an embarrassing fiasco for this young woman. Ms. Semenya whooped ass. Deal with it. Whatever happened to sportsmanship?

Italy's Elisa Cusma, or number six in the race, was quoted in yesterday's NY Times with, “These kind of people should not run with us. For me, she’s not a woman. She’s a man.” Oh, really? That's awfully convenient to say after you lost the race to her.

To whomever prompted this investigation who is, without a doubt, one of the losing female competitors or closely involved with one of them: how about we have a gynecologist and several other medical professionals check your insides, run some blood tests, and who knows what other intrusive exams are involved, and oh yeah, share those results with the rest of the whole freaking world? Because, really, how do we know that you yourself are female...or male? Let's just check, shall we?

What gets me is that all of this is actually playing out on center stage simply because Ms. Semenya does not have a traditional womanly frame. If she were a delicate little wallflower with sinewy legs and narrow shoulders, there'd be no questions asked. It is NOT ok to insult a young woman like this. It is NOT ok that someone or some organization can make such a humiliating accusation POST race.

And don't get me started on the I.A.A.F. (International Association of Athletics Federations), a governing organization that evidently doesn't exercise proper P.R. practices. Do they have any idea how painfully scarring this experience could be for Ms. Semenya? They could easily have kept this investigation under wraps by simply not confirming the rumors.

I am just so furious for Ms. Semenya. This young African girl should be reveling in her victory. This is going to be an extremely public and humiliating investigation, especially for a teen. May this blow over soon, and may the pathetic person or team that pulled these shenanigans at least step up and identify themselves.

Image credited to David J. Phillip/Associated Press