Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Wednesday 12 June 2019

Defiant Semenya to IAAF: Catch dopers, ‘not us’

By JOHN LEICESTER “I’m not going to change
AP Sports Writer because of any man.”
MONTREUIL, France (AP) — “If they have a problem
After another winning run, with me, I don’t have a
a defiant Caster Semenya problem with them. That’s
on Tuesday urged track’s their business, to worry, not
governing body to drop its mine,” she said.
pursuit of female runners On a soggy, rain-drenched
with high testosterone lev- and chilly evening, Seme-
els and instead focus on nya ran a forgettable time
catching dope cheats. of 5 minutes, 38.19 seconds
Speaking after winning a over 2,000 meters, a rarely-
2,000-meter race on the run distance that isn’t an
outskirts of Paris, the South Olympic medal event.
African again made clear Ultimately, if her appeal
that she will refuse to medi- fails and Semenya can
cate to bring down her tes- no longer compete over
tosterone levels, to comply 800 meters, her signature
with hugely controversial event, she suggested that it
rules pushed by the IAAF. wouldn’t be the end of the
“I’m not an idiot. Why will world for her.
I take drugs? I’m a pure She said she could drop
athlete. I don’t cheat. They down to sprints or scale up
should focus on doping, In this May 3, 2019, file photo, South Africa’s Caster Semenya crosses the line to win gold in the to longer distances if need-
not us. I’m never going to women’s 800-meter final during the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar. ed.
take drugs,” the two-time Associated Press “I can run any event I
Olympic champion over said Niyonsaba, who took ity to help athletes carry Sport. Her legal team sub- want,” she said. “I’m a tal-
800 meters said. the silver medal behind more oxygen in their blood sequently appealed to the ented athlete. I’m not wor-
Another athlete affected Semenya in the 800 at the gives Semenya and oth- Swiss supreme court, which ried about anything else.”
by the rules, Francine Ni- 2016 Olympics. ers like her an unfair ath- then temporarily lifted the The IAAF rules apply to a
yonsaba, also responded Athletes affected by the letic advantage over other contentious rules in her specific group of women
with a defiant “No!” when rules have levels of testos- women. case. with medical conditions
asked after the race if she terone in the male range, The rules, which came into Semenya wouldn’t com- known as differences of sex
would medicate. the IAAF says, and they effect May 8, apply to rac- ment Tuesday on that ap- development (DSD) and
“I’m sad, because it’s a dis- must reduce them to be es from 400 meters to one peal, saying she’s not a specifically those born with
criminatory rule, you know, allowed to run in women’s mile. Semenya tried but lawyer. the typical male XY chro-
a rule that targeted me events. The IAAF argues failed to have the regula- But she made clear that mosome pattern and tes-
and other world-class ath- that testosterone’s muscle- tions struck down by the she intends to be the mas- tosterone levels higher than
letes in certain disciplines,” building capacity and abil- Court of Arbitration for ter of her own fate, saying: the typical female range.q

Alex Morgan beat Japan 5-2 in Canada

for the trophy.
Continued from Page 18 after goal. The U.S. pounced early
The Americans meant no against Thailand, too, on
Rapinoe, Lindsey Horan, disrespect, said Morgan, Morgan’s header in the
Mallory Pugh and Carli but they simply wanted to 13th minute off Kelley
Lloyd also scored. The pre- position themselves for a O’Hara’s precisely placed
vious record margin was run at a second consecu- cross. Mewis, Lavelle and
Germany’s 11-0 victory tive title. Horan were all making their
over Argentina in 2007. “We really just came into World Cup debuts.
Morgan tied Michelle Ak- the game really wanting to Thailand, ranked No. 34 in
ers’ record for World Cup showcase ourselves,” Mor- the world, was clearly out-
goals, set in the quarterfi- gan said. “Every goal mat- matched even though the
nals against Taiwan in 1991. ters in this tournament and team has shown progress
The team’s seven different that’s what we were work- on the world stage. Making
scorers also set a tourna- ing on.” United States’ Alex Morgan celebrates after scoring her third its World Cup debut in 2015
ment record. Asked about the lopsided goal during the Women’s World Cup Group F soccer match four years ago, Thailand fin-
Lloyd, 36, became the old- score, U.S. coach Jill El- between the United States and Thailand at the Stade Auguste- ished third in its group but
est American woman to lis wondered if a 10-0 vic- Delaune in Reims, France, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. earned its first win, a 3-2 vic-
score at a World Cup and tory in a men’s World Cup Associated Press tory over Ivory Coast.
joined Germany’s Birgit would elicit the same ques- The two teams were the in their previous 38, a loss At the final whistle, Lloyd
Prinz as the only players to tions. “This is a world cham- last to kick off in the group to France in Le Havre in and Christen Press were
score in five straight World pionship, so every team stage for the monthlong January. The team was 7-1- seen consoling the Thai-
Cup games. here has been fantastic to tournament. Host France 2 overall this year, with six land goalkeeper. Morgan
The United States faced get to this point. And I think opened the World Cup be- straight wins going into the put her arm around Thai-
criticism over its relentless that to be respectful to fore a sellout crowd in Paris World Cup. land’s Miranda Nild, who
attack. The Americans led opponents is to play hard on Friday night with a 4-0 The last time the Americans was wiping away tears on
3-0 at the break and then against opponents, and as victory over South Korea. played in the sport’s top the field. Nild and Morgan
broke the match open in Alex said, it’s a tournament Ranked No. 1 in the tournament, Lloyd had a both played college soc-
the second half, with the where goal differential is world, the Americans had hat trick in the first 16 min- cer for the California Gold-
players celebrating goal important,” Ellis said. dropped only one match utes and the United States en Bears.q