Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya has lost her legal challenge against IAAF testosterone regulations.
The Athletics World Governing body want to limit the amount of testosterone female athletes have in their blood. It will force those with differences in sexual development (DSD) to take medication to continue running on the international stage.
Semenya had brought a case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A five day hearing was held in Switzerland in February.
The South African middle distance runner was adamant that she did not want to take medication. She said such intervention would change “who she is and how she was born” and claimed the new rules were discriminatory. Semenya accused IAAF president Sebastian Coe of opening “opening old wounds” when he defended the policy in March.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has now rejected her case.
Three judges spent more than two months in deliberation over the contentious issue. They agreed that the rules were discriminatory to DSD athletes, but they found such discrimination was necessary. The judges state the IAAF move was “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to ensure fair competition for female athletes.
World renowned sports scientist Ross Tucker believes testosterone reducing medication will lower Semenya's speed over the 800 metres distance by five to seven seconds.
She has reacted with a tweet, “Sometimes it’s better to react with no reaction.”
🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/FHmm10npfx
— Caster Semenya (@caster800m) May 1, 2019
