The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Wednesday rejected Caster Semenya’s challenge against International Association of Athletics Federations rules forcing her to lower her testosterone levels to compete with women, even as judges labelled the regulations “discriminatory.”
The three judge panel found that the rules targeting athletes with differences in sexual development were “discriminatory” but that “such discrimination is a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the IAAF’s aim of preserving the integrity of female athletics.”
Semenya, a double Olympic champion, was fighting the regulations imposed by the IAAF that compel “hyperandrogenic” athletes – or those with DSD – to lower their testosterone levels if they wish to compete as women. The IAAF says the rules are essential to preserve a level playing field and ensure that all female athletes can see “a path to success”.
But Semenya’s cause had earned widespread support, including from United Nations and scientific experts who argue that testosterone is an arbitrary and unfair measure for determining gender.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland heard a week of arguments in the case in February before giving this result.
With AFP inputs