Athletics South Africa (ASA) says it will appeal the recent Caster Semenya ruling made by the Court of Arbitration for Sports. Semenya recently lost her case challenging new IAAF rules, which force female athletes to regulate their levels of testosterone.
The ruling means that Semenya will have to take medication to lower her testosterone if she wants to compete in the 400m and a mile. There are currently five events in this category at the international level.
On May 1, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) ruled on the “IAAF Eligibility Regulations for Female Classification (Athletes with Differences of Sex Development)” commonly known as DSD Regulations. Part of the ruling read, “The Panel found that the DSD Regulations are discriminatory but the majority of the Panel found that, on the basis of the evidence submitted by the parties, such discrimination is a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the IAAF’s aim of preserving the integrity of female athletics in the Restricted Events.”
After the controversial ruling, the World Medical Association (WMA) urged doctors not to enforce the new IAAF gender rules for classifying female athletes. The WMA warned medical practitioners that enforcing the rules would be a breach ethical codes.
In response, the IAAF later wrote a letter to the WMA, and stated that Semenya was free to compete as a man unrestrictedly. The IAAF letter has been slammed by many people on social media, seen as an attempt by the IAAF to further humiliate Semenya.
Semenya has often argued that she feels the IAAF is targeting her, and many sympathisers have rallied behind the South African Olympic champion.
