Coach quits over Semenya saga

2009-09-06 12:12

Johan Van Wyk

Pretoria - The national athletics coach, Wilfred Daniels, has quit Athletics South Africa (ASA) over the “repulsive handling” of the Caster Semenya debacle.

It was revealed that gender evaluation tests had been done on Semenya – the current 800m world champion – shortly before the world championships in Berlin after a request was made to South African authorities in great secrecy by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Semenya was apparently under the impression that the tests were standard doping tests after she broke Zola Budd’s old national junior record at the African championships in Mauritius.

Since breaking the world record in Berlin, she has been unable to accept many invitations to big international events in Europe as her passport had “disappeared” on her return to OR Tambo. She has lost thousands of rands due to her absence at these events.

Daniels, 58, on Tuesday resigned from all SA athletics bodies in a letter sent to the ASA. He was the chief coach of SA teams since 1993.  

“I resigned from the ASA because I would no longer be able to face myself in the mirror with a clean conscience if I had stayed,” he said on Saturday.

He also said he believed the IAAF had a part in the drama surrounding Semenya.  

“For their part, ASA handled the matter very badly. Why was Caster gagged when the bombs started going off around her? It is a disgrace the whole story was driven to a head at a world championship, the biggest moment of her life.”

“She’s intelligent but South Africa wasn’t allowed to hear her side of the matter.”
   

- Rapport