Caster Semenya is a ‘man’ – IAAF rules

Semenya’s career may be over

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), has ruled that South Africa’s Olympic Champion Caster Semenya has more male hormones that disadvantages female competitors in females only races.

The double Olympic champion at 800m had appealed against IAAF’s new rules that seek to limit the level of testosterone for Persons with differences in sexual development competing in distances between 400m and a mile.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s panel of three judges gave a complex verdict but ultimately rejected Semenya’s case in favour of the governing body’s desire to protect fair competition.

The judges decided the IAAF’s proposed rules are discriminatory but they also found in a 2-1 verdict that “on the basis of the evidence submitted by the parties, such discrimination is a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the IAAF’s aim of preserving the integrity of female athletics in the Restricted Events [races of distances between 400m and a mile].”

The ruling means Semenya will have to begin medically reducing her testosterone levels within the next week if she wants to compete in the world championships in Doha, Qatar in September

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