Teenage Runner Caster Semenya Raises Gender Questions

Is she a boy? Or is he a girl? Whichever way you look at it, South African teenager Caster Semenya is facing a gender controversy.

Semenya won gold in the women's 800 metres on Thursday night at the World Championships in Berlin, crossing the line in a personal best of 1 minute 55.45 seconds.

It was easy street for the 18-year-old but it wasn't easy for her to convince the IAAF who will verify her gender. Her sudden rise has raised many questions.

Her muscular development, the narrowness of her figure, a deep voice and a masculine look all demanded answers.

The verification process will involve a gynaecologist, psychologist, geneticist and endocrinologist. They will verify whether her birth certificate is right in declaring her female.

Semenya's mother has no doubt over her child's gender and claims she is not worried despite an official IAAF investigation being launched to look into the matter, the Daily Mail reported.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) have already issued a statement confirming they are 'completely sure' Semenya is female.