South Africa's world 800m champion Caster Semenya is "completely shattered" by Australian media claims that she is a hermaphrodite, reports said on Wednesday.
"She is completely shattered by all that has been said about her," Semenya's spokesperson Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane of Athletics South Africa (ASA) told the telegraph.co.uk.
"Caster does not shy away from what is being said about her, but she finds the negative and intrusive parts very upsetting."
She said the claims that Semenya had internal testicles and no ovaries, as was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, have left her in a "fragile" state of mind.
"The claims about her body over the past week have had a very damaging effect. She is only just an adult -- she's very young to have to cope with something like this.
"Reports last week of the so-called 'leaked test results' were very hard for her, but she wants to know what the world is saying, so she read and watched it all," said Mlangeni-Tsholetsane.
Semenya could do with some positive media coverage, she added.
"Caster is a strong woman, but even she has her limits. It would do her so much good to read some positive pieces."
Talk Radio 702 said on Wednesday Semenya had spoken to one of its reporters, but that she refused to be recorded because of the comments she received about her deep voice.
She told the radio station that she just wanted to focus on her training.
"She is completely shattered by all that has been said about her," Semenya's spokesperson Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane of Athletics South Africa (ASA) told the telegraph.co.uk.
"Caster does not shy away from what is being said about her, but she finds the negative and intrusive parts very upsetting."
She said the claims that Semenya had internal testicles and no ovaries, as was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, have left her in a "fragile" state of mind.
"The claims about her body over the past week have had a very damaging effect. She is only just an adult -- she's very young to have to cope with something like this.
"Reports last week of the so-called 'leaked test results' were very hard for her, but she wants to know what the world is saying, so she read and watched it all," said Mlangeni-Tsholetsane.
Semenya could do with some positive media coverage, she added.
"Caster is a strong woman, but even she has her limits. It would do her so much good to read some positive pieces."
Talk Radio 702 said on Wednesday Semenya had spoken to one of its reporters, but that she refused to be recorded because of the comments she received about her deep voice.
She told the radio station that she just wanted to focus on her training.
