Word: wednesday
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South African runner Caster Semenya's muscular physique helped propel her to victory during the 800 meters at Wednesday night's world track and field championships in Berlin. Now that physique, coupled with an ongoing gender verification test, is fueling suspicion that Semenya could be stripped of her medal because she is actually...
Semenya, 18, came to the world's attention on July 30 after winning the African Junior Championships in Mauritius. There, she posted 1:56.72, the fastest 800-meter run of the year - even when including senior-level competitors. Competing in her first senior championship on Wednesday, Semenya once again clocked the fastest time of the year - 1:55.45 - and finished a whopping two seconds ahead of the defending world champion. (Read "A Brief History of the World's Fastest Human...
...grown up all her life as a woman, but who is now in a position where this is being questioned." Because there is not yet any scientific evidence that Semenya is a man, officials gave her "the benefit of the doubt" and the all clear to race on Wednesday...
...those characteristics that Semenya's competitors see in the world champ, leading them to predict - and hope - that her forthcoming gender results will leave her ineligible to compete with women. "Just look at her," barked Mariya Savinova, the fifth-place finisher from Russia, following Wednesday's race. Italian Elisa Piccione, who finished sixth, was equally severe: "These kinds of people should not run with us. For me, she's not a woman. She's a man." She also outran them both - and not even a gender test can change that...
...crowds. Children, taking advantage of the trafficless streets, flew kites. Watermelon sellers languished in the shade of their carts waiting for a sale. The only customers were police, who were stationed at every intersection to inspect the few vehicles that passed their way. Kabul residents had been spooked by Wednesday's curious lack of violence and were apprehensive that the Taliban had planned something big for voting day. They were right to worry. Not long after polls opened, reports of explosions across the capital drove even the most courageous voters indoors. Two improvised bombs went off at polling stations, with...