The court of arbitration for sport, IAAF on Wednesday ruled against Semenya upholding a decision that she has to reduce her testosterone level in order to continue 800m international competition. The court argue that high testosterone in female athletes confers significant advantages in size, strength and power from puberty onwards
Semenya will have to take medication to reduce her testosterone level. The athlete has said she may appeal the decision and even posted a cryptic tweet suggesting she may retire. Fans across the world have been urging her not to quite. Athletics South Africa president Aleck Skhosana playing down any suggestion that Semenya may c´quite has stated that She is “an outstanding athlete who has a continuous hunger for great results ……. We believe that Caster will shake off the world attention currently around her to give us another exceptional performance and give the world new topics to talk about. ”
After the court decision Semenya stated that “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,” She added that “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.”
The IAAF decision has been criticised as discriminatory by many athletes and organisations. Martina Navratilova referred to the CAS verdict as “dreadfully unfair” and “wrong in principle.”
The United Nations Human Rights Council has noted that the IAAF regulations “are not compatible with international human rights norms and standards, including the rights of women with differences of sex development”. In a tweet, the Washington Post asked “We celebrated Michael Phelps’s genetic differences. Why punish Caster Semenya for hers?
At a news conference on Friday, the President of the IAAF Lord Coe however welcomed the Court of Arbitration’s decision to reject Semenya appeal say “It’s pretty straightforward. Athletics has two classifications, it has age and gender…… We are fiercely protective of both and I am really grateful the court of arbitration has upheld that principle.”
African across the world stand behind Caster Semenya and praise her for stand up strong against discrimination and for projecting Africa in the international stage
