Johannesburg - Dressed in a black sleeveless dress, controversial 800m women's world champion Caster Semenya graced the front cover of a lifestyle magazine in her native South Africa Tuesday under the headline: "Wow, look at Caster now!"

Semenya, whose gender was called into question last month at the world athletics championships in Berlin, pulled on stilettos and several short dresses for her makeover from You magazine.

"I'd like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance," the 18-year-old, who wore make-up and posed with a manicured hand on her hip, told You.

Hours before her victory in the 800m final in Berlin world athletics governing body IAAF announced it would be testing Semenya's gender after she improved her personal best by more than eight seconds in a year.

Semenya, who grew up in a village in northern Limpopo province, emerged from relative obscurity to easily claim the titles of African junior champion in Mauritius in July and world champion in Berlin.

The IAAF, which was slammed for publicizing the tests and has since apologized, has yet to announce the results.

Semenya's coach Wilfred Daniels resigned last week, saying that while the IAAF's treatment of Semenya was "insulting," Athletics South Africa's handling of the affair had also been "atrocious."

Daniels claimed Semenya had also been subjected to gender testing by the ASA, without her knowledge. The ASA has denied the allegations.

Speaking to You about the debacle, the shy sports science student with the broad shoulders and deep voice, said: "I see it all as a joke; it doesn't upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself."

At the same time, she revealed that when she registered at the University of Pretoria she pre-emptively announced to a fellow student "I'm a girl!" to avoid further questions.

Semenya, who was mobbed in Johannesburg airport by thousands of supporters on her return home, also told the magazine she dreamed of winning Olympic gold but assured: "I'll never become arrogant.

Sales of the magazine were brisk at one Johannesburg supermarket, where a teller remarked on scanning the front cover, which showed a smiling Semenya bedecked with gold jewellery reclining in a settee: "She looks better now."

The IAAF says it does not suspect Semenya of deliberately cheating, but wonders whether she may have a rare medical condition which gives her an unfair advantage. (dpa)