Johannesburg - The results of sex tests performed on controversial South African champion runner Caster Semenya will not be made public as had been expected, South Africa's sports department said Thursday.

The sports department in Pretoria said in a statement it had "agreed with the IAAF (world athletics body) that whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the IAAF regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor."

Monte Carlo  - Three-time sprint world champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica heads a shortlist of five men vying for the World Athlete of the Year award from the ruling body IAAF.

Bolt, winner of the prestigious award last year, lowered his own world records in the 100 and 200 metres to 9.58 and 19.19 seconds, respectively, en route to world titles in Berlin in August. He also was part of the Jamaican 4x100m gold relay.

Ayesha Bhatia has lived most of her life in England. And for the first time, she will run a special 'marathon' when she participates in the Salwan Marathon on Sunday.

The world's largest school race that will attract around 30,000 students from across the country this year, has a special section — for visually impaired.

Ayesha, who is visually impaired, will run the race with a volunteer. She has been in Delhi since April this year.

The list of Indian athletes selected for the Queen’s Baton Relay handover ceremony has a surprise exclusion.

Announced on Friday, the list does not feature the name of pistol shooter Samaresh Jung, the Arjuna Award recipient in 2002 and, more importantly, the best sportspersons at the 2006 Melbourne Games.

Chennai, Oct 20 : Some 1,200 athletes are expected to participate in the four-day 49th Inter-State athletics championship commencing here Wednesday even as the organisers issued a warning of sorts about medal winners to be tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials who will conduct random tests during the event.

Johannesburg  - South Africa's athletics chief will not lose his job after admitting he had lied about gender tests performed on world champion runner Caster Semenya, a federation spokesman said Thursday.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) spokesman Chris Britz told Sapa news agency that Leonard Chuene remained president of the federation following a meeting of the ASA council in Johannesburg on Thursday.

ASA will release a statement later in the day, he said.

The council met to discuss the controversy surrounding ASA's handling of the Semenya affair.

Hamburg  - Irina Mikitenko of Germany said on Wednesday she will run her next marathon on October 11 in Chicago after withdrawing from the world championship race in Berlin in the wake of her father's death.

"I need a challenge and I have heard that they have a good and a fast course there (in Chicago," said the 37-year-old Mikitenko.

Mikitenko won the London Marathon 2008 and 2009 and the Berlin marathon in 2008. She was a favourite for the August 23 event at the home worlds but withdrew two weeks before the race after the death of her father. (dpa)

Taipei  - The organizer of the 21st Summer Deaflympics on Tuesday praised Taiwan for hosting the "best-ever" Deaflympics.

Dr Donalda Ammons, president of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, made the remark while receiving honorary citizenship of Taipei from Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin.

"In terms of competition venues, efficiency and Taipei citizens' smiles, the Taipei Deaflympics is the best-ever Deaflympics," she said through sign language at the Taipei citizenship presentation ceremony.

After 10 days of competition involving nearly 3,000 deaf athletes from 80 countries and regions, the event was set to close Tuesday evening with a 350-table feast at the Taipei Stadium for all the teams and staff.

London, Sep. 13 : South African runner Caster Semenya, who is at the center of a gender row, has been placed on suicide watch amid fears for her mental stability.

The Daily Star quoted officials as saying that psychologists are caring the 18-year-old round-the- clock after it was claimed tests had proved she was a hermaphrodite.

Leaked details of the probe by the ­International Association of ­Athletics Federations showed the 800m starlet had male and female sex organs – but no womb.

Thessaloniki, Greece  - Tyson Gay of the United States beat Jamaica's Asafa Powell in the men's 100 metres at the World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece on Saturday.

Gay clocked 9.88 seconds with a late surge to edge Powell (9.90) and Darvis Patton of the United States (10.00).

Gay took advantage of the absence of Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt, who was a spectator in the stadium ahead of his participation in the 200m on Sunday.

Meanwhile double world and Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele outsprinted Bernard Lagat of the United States with victory over 3,000 metres.

Johannesburg  - South Africa's sports minister Makhenkesi Stofile was due to address the media in Pretoria Friday on the results of gender tests on the country's controversial 800 metres women's world champion, Caster Semenya.

The sports department called the press conference after Australian media reported that the tests carried out by world athletics body IAAF on Semenya last month in Berlin showed she was intersex - or has both male and female sexual organs.

Sydney  - Leaked gender tests on women's 800-metre world champion Caster Semenya reveal she is a hermaphrodite, Australia's Daily Telegraph said Friday.

The Sydney paper claimed a source close to the testing process confirmed that the South African has three times the level of testosterone usually found in a woman.

Semenya has internal testes instead of ovaries and no uterus, the source claimed.

Johannesburg  - The coach of South African women's 800 metres world champion Caster Semenya has resigned, saying Semenya was duped into undergoing gender tests in South Africa before the world championships in Berlin last month, reports said Monday.

National athletics coach Wilfred Daniels told Johannesburg's The Star newspaper he had resigned from Athletics South Africa last week after being overcome with remorse at the way Semenya's case had been handled by the organization.

Taipei  - The Taiwan organizer of the 21st Summer Deaflympics came under criticism Monday for transportation chaos that caused difficulties for athletes and journalists covering the games.

Competitors and reporters complained about the inconvenience of transportation between the 36 hotels accommodating the athletes and the competition venues in Taipei and suburbs.

Brussels  - American Sanya Richards, Russian Jelena Isinbayeva and Ethiopian Kenenanisa Bekele on Friday picked up 333,333 dollars each as they shared the one-million-dollar jackpot on offer at the Golden League series.

The jackpot was shared by the athletes who manage to win the same events at all six Golden League meets in one season.

Bekele looked beatable at one stage in the men's 5,000m race at the Memorial Van Damme meet as he seemingly held back, but on the final straight he proved too strong for compatriot Imane Merga, who finished 0.35 seconds behind.

Brussels  - American Sanya Richards on Friday ensured at least a share of the one-million-dollar jackpot on offer at the Golden League series.

Richards won the women's 400m race - as she has in all five previous Golden League meets this season - and thus was the first athlete to be assured at least a share of the jackpot.

Richards, who also won the gold at the world championships last month, took first place in a world-best time this year of 48.83 seconds, beating Britain's Christine Ohuruogu into second place by more than a second.

Ohuruogu finished in 50.43. Jamaican Shericka Williams was third.

Brussels  - American Sanya Richards, Russian Jelena Isinbayeva and Ethiopian Kenenanisa Bekele on Friday shared the one- million-dollar jackpot on offer at the Golden League series.

The jackpot is shared by the athletes who manage to win the same events at all six Golden League meets in one season.

Bekele looked beatable at one stage in his 5,000m race as he seemingly held back, but on the final straight he proved too strong for compatriot Imane Merga, who finished
0.35 seconds behind.

Bekele's winning time was 12:55.31 seconds, while Vincent Chepkok took third place.

Johannesburg - South African women's 800m world champion Caster Semenya is to receive a house in recognition of her achievement, South African media reported on Saturday.

Controversy has followed the 18-year-old since winning the gold medal at the world championships in Berlin and questions have been raised about her gender.

Reports on Saturday said that the provincial government of Limpopo and a property developer will build a house for the world champion and her family.

Zurich  - Usain Bolt beat fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell to win the 100 metres at the Golden League meeting in Zurich Friday in 9.81 seconds.

The world and Olympic champion, who set a world record 9.58 seconds 12 days earlier in Berlin, appeared to ease up as he crossed the line.

Bolt and Powell were neck-and-neck over 70 metres but Bolt powered ahead over the last 30 metres, leaving Powell - who had equalled a then-world record of 9.77 in Zurich three years - second on 9.89.  (dpa)

Zurich  - Russian Yelena Isinbayeva set a world record 5 metres 6 centimetres in the women's pole vault at the Golden League meeting in Zurich on Friday.

Isinbayeva, who did not clear a height when failing to win a third successive title at the world championships in Berlin, stays on course for at least a share of the Golden League 1-million-dollar jackpot. (dpa)