Caster Semenya: Double Olympic champion continues her fight against athletics authorities

Accident – Death – Obituary News : London (AFP) – Caster Semenya, the double Olympic champion from South Africa, has expressed her refusal to be ashamed of her differences as she continues to battle against athletics authorities. Despite being legally identified as female, Semenya is classified as having “differences in sexual development (DSD)” and has resisted taking drugs to lower her testosterone levels since the introduction of regulations by athletics’ governing body in 2018. Consequently, she has been barred from competing in her preferred distance of 800m. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has now agreed to rule on Semenya’s case.

In a victory for Semenya, the Strasbourg-based international court ruled in July that she was a victim of discrimination, following a lengthy legal battle against the Swiss government. However, Swiss authorities, supported by World Athletics, have decided to take the matter to the ECHR’s Grand Chamber, whose rulings hold binding authority.

In an interview with the BBC, Semenya stated that her primary focus is on “winning battles against the authorities” rather than participating in competitions, with the upcoming Paris Olympics not in her plans. She firmly believes that being a woman is not determined by physical differences and stated, “I have realized I want to live my life and fight for what I think and believe in myself. I know I am a woman and anything that comes along with it, just accept it.” Semenya also emphasized that she refuses to be ashamed of her unique characteristics, asserting, “At the end of the day, I know I am different. I don’t care about the medical terms or what they tell me. Being born without a uterus or internal testicles, those don’t make me less of a woman. Those are the differences I was born with, and I will embrace them. I am not going to be ashamed because I am different.”

Semenya, who has clinched Olympic gold in the 800m event in 2012 and 2016 and is a three-time world champion in the same distance, recently revealed that her track career has fulfilled her ambitions, and she is now fully focused on her battle with the authorities in the sport. She expressed her commitment to fighting injustice and advocating for inclusivity and diversity, stating, “I’m not going to allow leaders who come for selfish means into our business to destroy it. I’m about empowering women and making sure they have a voice.”

Although the ruling by the ECHR in July was primarily symbolic and did not challenge the regulations imposed by World Athletics, Semenya remains determined in her fight. World Athletics introduced the DSD regulations to ensure fair competition in women’s events ranging from 400m to one mile. Consequently, Semenya was compelled to switch to the 5,000m distance, where she failed to reach the final at the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Oregon. Earlier this year, World Athletics amended the rules, requiring DSD athletes to lower their blood testosterone levels to below 2.5 nanomoles per litre, down from the previous threshold of five, and maintain this level for a duration of two years. Additionally, the federation eliminated the concept of restricted events for DSD athletes, thereby extending the regulations to cover all distances.

Semenya remains steadfast in her determination to challenge the regulations imposed on her, fighting for the rights of athletes with differences in sexual development and striving for a more inclusive and diverse sporting world..