Johannesburg: While her rivals competed for Commonwealth Games gold, Caster Semenya was left fretting over her finances and wondering if she can afford to keep running.
A gender test controversy and the ensuing 11-month layoff from competition has done more than keep the 800-meter world champion away from track meets. Despite being cleared to run by the IAAF, Semenya's manager, Tshepo Seema, says the athlete can't find a sponsor "because of the negative publicity."
Semenya is struggling to pay for her running and has even met with and accepted an offer of help from two young South Africans, who say they "rallied a few friends on Facebook" to raise money for the middle-distance champion.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 22:54