Semenya, the controversial world 800 metres champions, was visibly overwhelmed by the support she received from her fellow South Africans when she faced the crowd for the first time after a dramatic week in Berlin.

A police cordon struggled to contain the throngs of well-wishers and struggled to contain the thousands who had driven from around the country to welcome Semenya, who has been at the centre of worldwide attention after it was revealed that her gender was under investigation.

Representatives from a number of political organisations, including the Democratic Alliance, African National Congress (ANC) and Congress of the People colours.

Many of those gathered at the airport accused the world governing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) of racism after documents leaked in Berlin revealed that gender tests were being carried out on the teenager amid fears she should not be allowed to run as a woman.

Flanked by her father, Jacob Semenya, as well as ANC MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, South African Sports Commission and Olympic Committee president Gideon Sam, and Leonard Chuene, the President of Athletics South Africa.

The men's world 800m champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and long-jump silver medallist Khotso Mokoena looked anonymous and there were times when it seemed they did not even exist. Many of the well-wishers who strained to catch a glimpse of Semenya ignored the two medallists as they walked in the background.

Semenya is to be presented with a R60,000 (£4,723) cash bonus for her performance in the German capital by the South African Government while Mulaudzi will get R40,000 (£3,149) and Mokoena R25,000 (£1,968).

Malema said: "We defeated the nonsensical apartheid regime and this [controversy] is nothing really.

"When you question the gender of an individual, that is political and that is where we come in.

"Continuing to question the gender of this young girl is undermining the woman who gave birth to her."

 

Chuene blamed the media for the controversy.

He said: "We are re not going to allow Europeans - and the West - to define our own children.

"Let me warn the professors and scientists.

"Only Semenya's parents are the true scientists because they the parents of the child.

"For 18 years, they raised this young girl and not some scientists from some stupid university who first raised this issue.

"You can't touch a child without reporting to the family and the parents, who celebrated her birth and gave her the name Mokgadi.

"The State issued a birth certificate confirming her as a female."

Madikizela-Mandela said: "They can write what they like, but nothing is going to dampen the spirit of this little girl.

"To those out there who performed those tests... they can stuff their tests."

South Africa's former First Lady also issued a thinly-veiled threat warning the country's media to support Semenya or face sanctions.

She said: "We know your responsibility is to inform us, but do so patriotically without insulting one of our own.

"Use the freedom of press we gave you properly, because we can take it from you."