JOHANNESBURG - The remorseful coach of a South African runner whose gender has been questioned has resigned over the way her case was handled, saying the athlete was tested in South Africa under the guise of a doping check.
Wilfred Daniels' comments contradicted statements from Athletics South Africa officials who have accused the IAAF, track and field's international governing body, of publicly humiliating world 800-metre champion Caster Semenya while denying any responsibility on their part. The South African officials have said tests were done only abroad, not in South Africa.
Athletics South Africa President Leonard Chuene told The Associated Press on Monday that Daniels' statements were "wild allegations." Both he and Daniels said Monday they were still awaiting an IAAF ruling on Semenya's sex - and future as a runner.
The Athletics South Africa website listed Daniels as a manager for middle distance - Semenya's specialty - for the team that went to the IAAF World Championships in Berlin in August.
He told the AP he resigned last week from his post, which included supervising Semenya's personal coach and overseeing South Africa's performance at international meets. He said he agonized over the decision for weeks before deciding "there's only one way for me to deal with this, and that was to say sorry and walk away."
"Maybe it's time that other people came in and do what I was supposed to do," he said.
Daniels said he found out shortly before Semenya won the race at the world championships in Germany last month that she had been tested in South Africa in July at the IAAF's behest. He said she was told she was undergoing only a doping test.
IAAF rules say such cases are to be handled confidentially. Instead, responding to media reports, the IAAF publicly acknowledged hours before the 800-metre final that questions had been raised about Semenya and that sex tests were initiated in response.
The IAAF has said Semenya is not accused of cheating by trying to mask her sex. She may have a biological condition that gives her an advantage over other female runners. That could result in her being banned from the sport.
