IAAF submits case for testosterone limits in Caster Semenya legal battle

A judge is set to decide whether two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya can continue to compete in the 800m while she waits for her appeal to be decided.

Semenya denied entry into Rabat 800 metres race

Semenya Source: Reuters

Track and field's governing body says it has met a Swiss Supreme Court deadline to explain why rules limiting female runners' testosterone levels should be re-imposed during Caster Semenya's appeal.

The IAAF had until Tuesday to respond to a federal judge's grant of a special interim order this month which suspended the rules.

The judge must now decide whether two-time Olympic champion Semenya can continue competing over 800 metres without taking testosterone-suppressing medication pending the full appeal.
That final hearing with a panel of judges will likely take several months, but the next ruling from the single judge could come within days.

The South African is currently on track to defend her world title in September in Doha, Qatar.

She ultimately wants the Swiss Federal Tribunal to overturn a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in May which upheld the IAAF's rules applying to female middle-distance runners with "differences of sex development" (DSD).

In court, the IAAF described Semenya and others as "biologically male athletes with female gender identities".

The track body said in a statement on Tuesday it "continues to believe in equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls in our sport today and in the future".


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Published 26 June 2019 9:28am
Updated 26 June 2019 2:16pm


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