The 18-year-old South African won the 800 metres title at the World Championships in Berlin earlier this week, just hours after the world governing confirmed she was the subject of an official investigation into her gender.

 

 

Diack said: "I deeply regret that confidentiality was breached in this case and that the IAAF were forced into a position of having to confirm that gender testing was being carried out on this young athlete.

 

"It is a regrettable matter and I have requested an internal inquiry to ensure that procedures are tightened up and this never happens again."

 

The IAAF have been investigating Semenya's gender after her breakthrough performance in winning the African Junior Championship title at the end of July.

 

The teenager ran a stunning time of 1min 56.72sec in Mauritius, taking almost four seconds from her previous best, and sliced another 1.27secs off that time with victory in the Olympic Stadium.

 

Meanwhile, Athletics South Africa (ASA) President Leonard Chuene has quit the IAAF's ruling Council, accusing it of being “racist” over the affair.

He said: “I would quit for as long as it takes to fight this dreadful case against our young runner.

 

“Who are white people to question the make-up of an African girl?

 

"This is racism, pure and simple."

 

Chuene is one of the most senior members of the IAAF having been a member of the Council since 1999 and is the area representative for Africa.

 

He further insisted that Semenya was facing intense scrutiny because she is black.

 

He said: “If gender tests have to take place, they should have been done quietly.”

 

“The IAAF has let down this young child and I will fight tooth and nail to protect her."

 

Support, meanwhile, is growing both worldwide and at home in South Africa for Semenya.

 

A global Facebook group formed in support of Semenya has already signed up almost 25,000 supporters.

More than a dozen Facebook Fan pages are adding to the debate raging around race and racism, sex, gender, discrimination - and the potentially devastating psychological consequences many fear will result from the incident.

 

Results of the gender tests are expected within the next two weeks.
 

By early today a Facebook group, “In Support of Caster Semenya and African Women,” had gained a global membership of close on 24,000.

 

The youth wing of the governing African National Congress said its president Julius Malema would lead a welcome rally for "South Africa's golden girl," saying that Semenya (pictured) "should be celebrated by all South Africans, despite attempts by the IAAF to humiliate her".

 

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), meanwhile, has condemned her treatment as "most humiliating".

 

Connie Zikalala, a spokeswoman for the IFP, said: "The IFP decries the most humiliating manner in which South African athlete Caster Semenya was treated by the world athletics body.

 

"The insensitive handling of Ms Semenya's gender test not only undermines ASA, but it also reflects badly on international relations.

 

"The IFP is not adverse to legal blood tests conducted on athletes.

 

"However, this test involving Ms Semenya is a gross violation of her privacy and is highly suspect as it exposes feelings of jealousy and unfair discrimination.

 

"The world community should not allow itself to be dragged back into medieval practises where the mere looks of a human being could make him or her a social outcast."

 

Britain's Jenny Meadows, who took bronze in the 800m, said that many athletes feel sympathy for the position Semenya has found herself in.

 

She said: "I just feel sorry for Caster.

 

"It's not a nice position to be in.

 

"It's for the IAAF and South African federation to sort that out.

 

"I don't think she should have been put in that position at all.

 

"She didn't make much eye contact with anybody.

 

"I think she was half embarrassed by the whole situation herself.

 

"I just really feel for her.

 

"It's a situation that could have been avoided."