World Championship Round Up

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has asked the South African athletics federation to conduct a gender verification test on 800-metre runner Caster Semenya amid concerns she does not meet the requirements to compete as a woman.



The 18 year old Semenya is a favorite in today’s 800-metre final at the world championships. The race is scheduled to start at 2:35 this afternoon.



The IAAF requested the gender test about three weeks ago, after Semenya burst onto the scene by slicing her personal bests in the 800 and 1,500 by huge margins.



IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said the \"extremely complex, difficult\" test has been started but that the results were not expected for weeks.



The verification test requires a physical medical evaluation, and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, an internal medicine specialist and an expert on gender.



Semenya qualified for the final with a top time of 1 minute, 58.64 seconds, and posted the world\'s top time this year of 1 minute 56.72 three weeks ago at the African junior championships in Bambous, Mauritius.