Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya’s legal team has announced that she is “feeling poised and confident” as she prepares for a pivotal hearing regarding the requirement to lower her testosterone levels to compete as a female athlete.
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, is set to hear the case on Wednesday, with a final ruling to be issued at a later date.
In a statement through her lawyers, Semenya expressed her hopes for the court’s decision: “I hope that the court’s decision will pave the way for all athletes’ human rights to be fiercely protected, for once and for all, and inspire all young women to be and accept themselves in all their diversity.”
Semenya, 33, was born with differences of sexual development (DSD), a condition where a person’s hormones, genes, and/or reproductive organs may exhibit both male and female characteristics. She has been barred by World Athletics from competing in female track events unless she takes testosterone-reducing medication.
Semenya argues that World Athletics is discriminating against athletes with her condition. In contrast, World Athletics maintains that its DSD regulations are essential, reasonable, and proportionate to ensure fair competition in the female category.
