SOUTH Africa's 800 metres World Championship gold medalist Caster Semenya is undergoing a gender verification test after her improved form this year raised an alarm with athletics officials.
Semenya was allowed to run and won the final on Wednesday as the complex medical process will not be completed until well after the August 15-23 championships being held in Berlin, Germany.
She never looked threatened and finished well ahead of the pack with a new personal best of 1:55.45.
"In the case of this athlete, following her breakthrough in the African junior championships, the rumours, the gossip was starting to build up," said IAAF spokesman Nick Davies.
"The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure," Davies added. "The situation today is that we do not have any conclusive evidence that she should not be allowed to run."
The 18-year-old set what was then a personal best for the 800 metres of one minute 56.72 seconds on July 31, which was eight seconds better than her time in 2008.
She was also the fastest qualifier for the final, running 1:58.66 in her semi.
Man or Woman? ... Caster Semenya
Davies said this was not a mandatory or compulsory test and the athlete was in no way suspected of cheating.
"This is a medical condition. It is nothing that she has done. There is a need to make sure rules are followed," Davies said, adding discretion and the protection of the athlete was paramount.
"We are more concerned for the person and not to make this as something that is humiliating," he said. - Reuters