Victory for Caster Semenya as the European Court of Human Rights has upheld Caster Semenya’s appeal regarding testosterone regulations. Semenya is a two-time Olympic champion. The regulations, according to the court, were “discriminatory” and “not necessary” to maintain fair competition. The South African athlete had objected to the World Athletics regulations that limited the amount of testosterone that female runners could have. The guidelines, which were implemented in 2018, applied to female competitors in 400-meter and mile races. Since 2019, Semenya has fought against these regulations.
Semenya and other female athletes impacted by the rules will benefit greatly from the court’s ruling. The decision requires World Athletics to modify its guidelines regarding female athletes’ testosterone levels. The rules only applied to female athletes, according to the court, and did not apply to male athletes. Furthermore, it was discovered that the rules were not required to guarantee fair competition.
Semenya has been fighting against these regulations ever since she was prevented from participating in her preferred events in 2019 unless she took testosterone-lowering medication. She appealed her situation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after refusing to take the medication. Despite the CAS’s 2019 decision against her, she persisted in her opposition to the rules.
The rules are “contrary to international medical ethics,” according to the World Medical Association (WMA), which has also criticized them. Both doctors and sports organizations have been urged by the WMA not to follow the regulations.
There is a complicated discussion going on regarding the testosterone levels of female athletes. Some contend that higher testosterone levels provide female athletes with an unfair advantage over their rivals. Others contend that since testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone, it is unfair to limit its use.
The victory of Caster Semenya at the European Court of Human Rights is significant for female athletes all over the world, to sum up. It implies that World Athletics will need to modify its regulations regarding testosterone levels in female athletes. Additionally, it implies that other female athletes who were impacted by the regulations will be able to compete without having to take medication or have surgery.
