Caster Semenya's Battle Continues

Ongoing Fight with IAAF Regulation

The double Olympic champion Caster Semenya's battle with the athletics authorities continues as she continues to fight an IAAF regulation. On June 30, 2019, South African runner Caster Semenya, already a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 800-meter race, was told that she would not be able to compete in her preferred event at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, unless she agreed to take medication to lower her testosterone levels.

A History of Discrimination

Semenya's case is not an isolated one. Many women athletes with high levels of testosterone have been subjected to discrimination and unfair treatment throughout history. In 1968, Polish sprinter Ewa Klobukowska was forced to undergo a gender verification test after winning the 400-meter race at the European Championships.

In 1996, South African runner Francine Niyonsaba was disqualified from the 800-meter race at the Olympic Games after failing a gender test. And in 2015, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand was banned from competing in international events after failing a similar test.

A Fight for Justice

Semenya is not the first athlete to fight against the IAAF's regulations, and she is unlikely to be the last. But she is one of the most high-profile athletes to speak out against the unfair treatment of women with high levels of testosterone.