CASTER SEMENYA

By Adam Hassan

Caster Semenya has lost a landmark case against the athletics’ governing body, meaning that it will be allowed to restrict testosterone levels in female runners. The Court Of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the South African’s challenge against the IAAF’s new rules. Now she – and other athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) – must either take medication in order to compete in track events from 400m to one mile or change to another distance.

CAS found that the rules for athletes with DSD were discriminatory – but that the discrimination was ‘necessary’ to protect, “The integrity of female athletics.”

First and foremost, she has been praised with dealing with the situation admirably. Many are impressed by her poise and grace in this whole ordeal, especially being the first person to bring this issue into sporting conversation. She’s representing anyone who might experience this in the future, and as unfortunate as it is, she has definitely proven to have the strength of character to withstand all of this.

For many this is completely the wrong decision. She was born a woman. She grew up as a woman. She identifies as a woman and therefore, she is a woman. As a result, she should be able to compete as a woman.

It is important to point out the genetic advantages in other athletes. Michael Phelps’ muscles produced 50% less lactic acid than other athletes, so he could operate at higher workloads for longer periods, allowing him to dominate swimming. Usain Bolt dominated sprinting for almost a decade, but people accepted that they wouldn’t be able to beat him. It feels like men are allowed to be extraordinary, but if a woman is extraordinary, she can’t be. She has to bring her level down.

Many are uncomfortable with how incomplete the research has been. The science isn’t there to back up these decisions. There needs to be more consistency throughout the whole argument, because research bodies have pinpointed events – the events in which Semenya competes – without proper research to show that higher testosterone levels have a bigger impact in these events than in any others.

Judging her as a track and field athlete, she is exceptional. She’s an exceptional trainer. She’s an exceptionally consistent performer, and to pinpoint one element, and say she is good because of this one thing she was born with, doesn’t take into the account the sacrifices that she has made along the way and only discredits her achievements.