IN PICS | Who is Caster Semenya and what is the ongoing controversy with the South African athlete?
Caster Semenya
The 32-year-old South African is the two-time women’s 800m Olympic champion, a three-time 800m world champion and a double Commonwealth Games middle distance gold medallist.
World Athletics regulations
World Athletics introduced the DSD (differences of sexual development) regulations to create a level playing field in events ranging from 400m to one mile. DSD athletes have to reduce their amount of blood testosterone to below 2.5 nanomoles per litre and remain below this threshold for two years.
(Inputs from Agencies)
The controversy
South African Semenya has refused to take testosterone-lowering medication as mandated by the sport's international federation, World Athletics. Semenya lost in an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Switzerland's appeals court subsequently confirmed the decision of the sport's top court.
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Appeal to European Court of Human Rights
She brought the case against Switzerland as part of her long-running legal battle and on Tuesday, July 11, won her appeal to the European Court of Human Rights to challenge whether her rights had been infringed in terms of requiring women with high testosterone to reduce those levels through drugs.
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What it means
The victory for the 32-year-old 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. World Athletics said in a statement noting the decision that it would liaise with the Swiss government on the next steps and, "given the strong dissenting views in the decision, we will be encouraging them to seek referral of the case to the ECHR Grand Chamber for a final and definitive decision".
(Inputs from Agencies)
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