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Justice has been done in the Caster Semenya case with the announcement by the IAAF that the world 800m champion can resume her athletics career.

It is good news not only for her but also for all the parties involved in what has been a sorry, traumatic and divisive episode.

The importance of following process within a sports governing body, at international and national level, has been demonstrated.

And although it has been an uncomfortable experience for all concerned, it has also provided an opportunity to learn from mistakes.

Although it has never been confirmed – and quite correctly from the perspective of patient confidentiality – I am confident that Semenya has undergone treatment for some kind of inter-sex condition.

Confirmation that the panel of medical experts who have been monitoring her are now satisfied she can compete without an unfair advantage means the IAAF has secured its primary aim in this – to ensure fair competition.

Semenya’s fellow athletes should now have faith that when they line up against her, the playing field will be level – a just outcome for those left trailing in her wake at last year’s World Championships.

The removal from office of those at Athletics South Africa, who knew there were concerns abouts the sex of Semenya last year but still put her into the team for Berlin, is another just outcome. They were guilty of exploiting her, just as the IAAF was guilty of failing to preserve confidentiality in her case.

The anger and indignation that poured from some in South Africa, including accusations of racism directed at the IAAF, have been exposed as little more than empty rhetoric and hollow nonsense.

It is right and just that the IAAF should have had to apologise, as it did, for allowing details of Semenya’s sex tests to enter the public domain.

It is also just and right for Athletics South Africa to say sorry for the conduct of some of its senior figures, including former president Leonard Chuene.

A government investigation concluded he had lied about what was known about Semenya’s case and that he owed the athlete, the country’s president Jacob Zuma and all the people of South Africa an apology.

This has been a chastening experience for the IAAF but it can take credit at least for making sure that, after failing to follow protocol in the first place, it did not waver from it in its handling of the rest of the case.

I doubt it will let it happen again – and the re-shaped South African Athletics body has learned its lesson, too.

Semenya has only ever been a victim in this but at least, quite rightly, she has been allowed to keep the medal and the prize money she earned in good faith on the track in Berlin last year.

She may never win another race or she might go on to be a champion at the London Olympics. Whatever the outcome, she deserves our sympathy, while those who made mistakes owe it to her never to repeat them.

South African athlete Caster Semenya has been given the all-clear to return to competition by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The 19-year-old world 800m champion has been out of the sport for 11 months after undergoing gender tests.

“The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect,” said a statement from the athletics body.

“Please note that the medical details of the case remain confidential.”

Semenya could now choose to compete in the World Junior Championships in Canada later in July, with October’s Commonwealth Games likely to be her main focus this season.

The teenager said: “I am thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me.”

That said, today’s newspapers revealed the omission of Semenya from the SA squad soon to compete in the African Championships. Hmm. So its not over then.

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