The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled against South Africa’s Caster Semenya’s challenge against new IAAF rules about the levels of testosterone in the body.
Semenya, who went through the same controversy years ago and won her case, had a team of experts challenging the International Association of Athletics Federations ruling.
“The CAS has dismissed both requests for arbitration,” it said in a statement.
Semenya, 28, will now be forced to take the testosterone-lowering medication for six months before competing.
The world athletics body was trying to force what they term “hyperandrogenic” athletes or those with “differences of sexual development” to seek treatment to lower their testosterone levels below a prescribed amount if they wish to continue competing as women.
The IAAF has been adamant that the moves were necessary to create a level playing field for other women athletes.
Semenya, a double Olympic champion, has been the dominant figure on the track over the last 10 years, especially the women’s 800 metres.
She had decided to take her case to the CAS, the world’s top sports court, which said it would announce a decision in March before the parties both filed additional documents, thereby delaying any finality on the situation.
Her lawyers said that the IAAF was interfering with natural genetic variations of normal female athletes.
-African News Agency
