Zurich, Monday @PeopleSports11
Caster Semenya will be allowed to compete in races of all distances without medication to limit her testosterone levels after a successful appeal against the recent IAAF ruling.
According her lawyer, Semenya has won her appeal against the controversial IAAF change which required her to use medication to lower her testosterone levels in 400m to 1,500m races.
The South African athlete, who has naturally elevated testosterone levels as a result of a condition called hyperandrogenism, lost a landmark legal case against the IAAF last month.
She challenged their proposal to restrict testostrone levels in female athletes in events between 400m and a mile but lost out when the decision was taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland last month.
Yet the Supreme Court of Switzerland have now suspended the regulations with the IAAF given until June 25 to respond as the situation rumbles on.
Her lawyer, Gregg Nott, said: “The court today ordered the IAAF to suspend immediately the implementation of the regulation with regard to Caster and has given the IAAF until the June 25 to respond to the suspense of effect.
After losing out in her legal case last month, Semenya claimed she was specifically targeted by the regulations and would not let the move hold her back.
She said: “’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. 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.”
But CAS said in a statement: “By majority, the CAS panel has dismissed the requests for arbitration considering that the claimants were unable to establish that the DSD regulations were ‘invalid’. -AFP
