South African athletics sensation Mokgadi ‘Caster’ Semenya is making world headlines at the athletics Championships in Berlin, but her record breaking performance is been overshadowed by doubts surrounding her femininity.

Caster Semenya raced to gold on Wednesday in Germany, winning the 800m by a stunning one minute 55.4 seconds, a new world record.

Semenya first became famous at the African junior championships in Mauritius, when she won by 1 minute 56.72 seconds. She beat defending world champion Janeth Jepkosgei by a convincing 2.45 seconds to make the world record in Germany. But Semenya’s glory was short-lived amidst humiliating rumours that three weeks ago, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) had sent a request to Athletics South Africa (ASA) to conduct a gender verification test on the 18-year old.

The rumours first bubbled up during her on-track celebrations on Wednesday, when German fans started booing the teenager from rural Limpopo, shortly afterwards she was whisked away for a dope test. Despite the allegations, ASA insists that the IAAF is lying. “I say categorically NO! NO! NO!” Exclaims ASA president Leonard Chuene.

“I want to know where this memo was sent because we did not receive anything from them,” says Chuene. However, the IAAF secretary general did confirm that a medical test is underway in Germany.

It will consist of a 12-man medical commission which also includes a South African doctor. The results of the complex cross questioning and testing will be available in less than a month.

Moloko Rapetsoa, principal of the high school were Semenya attended, confirms that though Semenya’s womanhood was always questioned at sports events, tests  would always prove her sceptics wrong 100% of the time. “Some schools doubted she was a girl and demanded her gender be checked.

“But each time she returned from the toilet, she would be cleared and the competition would resume,” says Rapetsoa. She also added that people at her home village outside Limpopo “already knew her as a girl.”

When asked about the controversy surrounding her gender, Semenya confidently replied, “I don’t open my mind to negative things, these things just made me stronger for the race.”

The defamatory rumours still persist despite her mother’s defence. “My child is a girl,” says a very irritated Dorcus Semenya.