SOUTH Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) sprung to the defence of 800m World Championships gold medalist Caster Semenya on Thursday as debate over her gender raged on.

Semenya is “one of South Africa’s diligent female athletes”, the ANC’s Youth League said in a statement.

The International Association of Athletics Federations said before Wednesday’s race that it was carrying out a “complex” investigation into the middle and long distance runner’s gender – reacting to trackside whispers that she is probably a man and her dramatic seven-second improvement on her best time set earlier this year.

But the ANC said “patriotic South Africans” were celebrating her victory, calling her a “role model and inspiration to thousands of young athletes in South Africa”.

“Her victory will go a long way to inspire as many athletes as possible,” the ANC said. “Despite attempts to defocus her, the ANC YL re-affirms its support for Caster and says out loud that all South Africans are behind her.”

Meanwhile, Semenya’s coach has also been defending the athlete, admitting her well-muscled physique had also deceived people in South Africa.

"I can give you the telephone numbers of her room-mates in Berlin. They have already seen her naked in the showers and she has nothing to hide," said her coach Michael Seme.

Seme also recounted how, when Semenya recently tried to use the women's toilets at a petrol station in Cape Town, the attendants tried to direct her to the gents instead.

"Caster just laughed and asked if they would like her to take off her pants to show them she was a woman," said Seme. "We understand that people will ask questions because she looks like a man. It's a natural reaction and it's only human to be curious."