July 11, (THEWILL) – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), has ruled that South African athlete, Caster Semenya, was discriminated against by rules requiring her to lower her testosterone levels.
Semenya, who has “differences in sexual development (DSD)”, has refused to take the drugs since World Athletics introduced the rules in 2018. She lost an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and Switzerland’s supreme court, but the ECHR found that she had not been afforded sufficient procedural safeguards in Switzerland.
The ruling is largely symbolic, as it does not call into question the ruling by World Athletics and does not pave the way for Semenya to return to competition in the 800m. However, it is a significant victory for Semenya and could have implications for other athletes, who have been affected by the DSD regulations.
World Athletics said in a statement that it would liaise with the Swiss government on the next steps and would encourage them to seek referral of the case to the ECHR Grand Chamber for a final and definitive decision. The federation added that it remains of the view that the DSD regulations are a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of protecting fair competition in the female category.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
