Chair, South Africa is in danger of pursuing medals at any price. The recent brutal treatment of Caster Semenya is a great tragedy. Yet, watching Leonard Chuene repeatedly say he would make the same decision again is more chilling. There is something wrong when our officials admit to gross deception as an error of judgment.
The President of Athletics South Africa refused to apologise for allowing Caster Semenya to run. His statement suggests it was worth anything if South Africa could win a medal, even at the cost of wrecking a young girl's life and allowing South Africans to become known internationally as liars and cheats.
Sport is becoming increasingly emotional and demanding. We demand the highest standards of integrity from our athletes. In turn, they deserve to be represented with integrity by officials. In the wake of the Olympic disappointments, South Africa's Sports Commission and Olympic Committee has launched an operation excellence project where their target of 12 medals in London is well within sight.
South Africa has recently won six well-deserved medals at three world championships. We do not need to cheat in order to win. We must not strive for medals at any cost. Thank you. [Applause.]