SOUTH AFRICA: ATHLETICS: South African athletes celebrate home coming.

Record ID: 449562

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: ATHLETICS: South African athletes celebrate home coming.
  • Date: 26th August 2009
  • Summary: (PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 25, 2009) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) THE STATUE OF PAUL KRUGER AT THE CHURCH SQUARE ATHLETES BUS DRIVING DOWNTOWN PRETORIA ACCOMPANIED BY POLICE CROWDS GATHERED TO GREET ATHLETES CASTER SEMENYA SHOWING OFF GOLD MEDAL CROWDS SURROUNDING THE BUS WITH ATHLETES CHEERING SUPPORTERS CASTER SEMENYA SMILING AND WAVING AT SUPPORTERS MORE OF CHEERING SUPPORTERS BUS DRIVING OFF WIDE OF CROWDS FOLLOWING THE ATHLETES BUS
  • Embargoed: 10th September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5I46RTX5KXDLZOBU4KSPBKDOP
  • Story Text: South African athletes including 18-year-old 800m gold medalist Caster Semenya went on a victory parade through the city of Pretoria after meeting President Zuma.
    President Jacob Zuma met South African athletes on Tuesday (August 25), including 800m gold medalist Caster Semenya, men's 800m gold medalist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, and the men's long jump silver medalist Kgotso Mokoena.

    The World champion South African runner Semenya, whose victory has been overshadowed by a gender testing row and the country's athletics team returned home to a heroes welcome.

    Furious South Africans have accused the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) of everything from racism to imperialism for ordering a test after her rapid improvement raised suspicions.

    Semenya, who won the women's world 800 metres title with a crushing performance in Berlin last week, was greeted by thousands at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport.

    But the controversy may have also touched a raw nerve in a country where race is still a highly sensitive issue after decades of apartheid, which ended in 1994.

    Semenya's ordeal turned political just after she landed.

    Julius Malema, firebrand leader of the ruling ANC's militant Youth League, complained that not enough whites turned up at the airport to show their support for Semenya.

    It may be a tense few weeks for Semenya, a calm 18-year-old from a rural village, until results of the gender test that has thrust her under the international spotlight are announced.
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