800-metre Olympic champion Caster Semenya has lost her landmark appeal against the IAAF and will have to reduce her testosterone levels in order to compete in international sporting events such as the 400 and 800 metres.
Caster has DSD, a difference of sexual development, which means that she was born with higher levels of testosterone than the average female. As testosterone increases strength, muscle mass and endurance, the IAAF have said that it is “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to impose this restriction on all athletes.
This new ruling means that all DSD athletes will be subject to taking hormones and medication to reduce the amount of testosterone in their body to a specified level and only then can they be cleared to compete in sporting events.
Caster Semenya said in a statement, ‘“I know that the IAAF’s regulations have always targeted me specifically. For a decade, the IAAF has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the Cas will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”
This appeal is the latest event in a long struggle for Semenya to be allowed to compete in the same way as her counterparts.
Semenya was subjected to an unethical gender test in 2009 and the confidential finding that she had both male and female characteristics was subsequently leaked to the press.
The media and some of Semenya’s competitors were vocal in their discontent that she was still allowed to compete and in April 2018, the IAAF introduced a new rule enforcing specific testosterone levels in their athletes after their report concluded that high testosterone levels offer a “competitive advantage”.
Semenya vowed to challenge this ruling and has been battling this out in court since February.
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