Caster Semenya will not be allowed to defend her 800m title at the Athletics World Championships in Doha unless she takes testosterone suppressant drugs, after a Swiss court reversed a prior ruling which had allowed her to compete while here appeal against the IAAF’s controversial regulations was ongoing.
The South African athlete is currently waiting on the outcome of her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against the IAAF’s regulations, which require female athletes with naturally elevated levels of testosterone to take suppressants in order to compete in certain running events in international competition.
Semenya has made clear that she will not artificially reduce her testosterone levels to compete.
On Monday, a judge of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court reversed the ruling which had previously suspended the IAAF’s rules pending Semenya’s appeal, pointing to the strict requirements and high thresholds for the interim suspension of Cas awards which the judge found were not fulfilled.
“I am very disappointed to be kept from defending my hard-earned title,” Semenya said in a statement. ”But this will not deter me from continuing my fight for the human rights of all of the female athletes concerned.”
Dorothee Schramm, the lawyer leading Caster’s appeal, said: “The judge’s procedural decision has no impact on the appeal itself. We will continue to pursue Caster’s appeal and fight for her fundamental human rights. A race is always decided at the finish line.”
