Semenya Wins Appeal Against Testosterone Rules in European Court

Caster Semenya has emerged victorious in her legal challenge against the rules implemented by World Athletics in 2018 concerning testosterone levels in athletes.

The South African double Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters has a medical condition known as hyperandrogenism, characterized by higher-than-usual levels of testosterone.

According to the regulations, Semenya and athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) are required to undergo hormone-suppressing treatment in order to compete in events between 400 meters and a mile.

Previously, Semenya had approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, where her appeal to contest the ruling was rejected, with the courts stating that the runner was not afforded an "effective remedy."

As a result of the ruling, Semenya was unable to defend her 800 meters Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

However, the European Court of Human Rights has now ruled that Swiss courts should provide her with a fresh opportunity to challenge the requirement.

In its ruling, the ECHR based in Strasbourg stated that "the applicant had not been granted sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland, which would have allowed her complaints to be effectively examined."