World Track (previously IAAF) have fought a high profile battle against Caster Semenya (RSA) and other athletes who are considered “intersexed“. This is different than trans, which are banned to my knowledge. Intersexed is a trickier argument, but it all leads to them having an advantage and World Track is not having it. She’s won a few battles, but Wold Track has just rewording their legal arguments until they can fly with CAS.
As it stands right now she’s banned from running however, I suspect it’s not over.
en.wikipedia.org
2018 testosterone rule change[edit]
Main article:
IAAF testosterone rule
In April 2018, the IAAF announced new "differences of *** development" rules that required athletes with specific
disorders of *** development, testosterone levels of 5 nmol/L and above, and certain androgen sensitivity to take medication to lower their testosterone levels, effective beginning 8 May 2019.
[86][87][88][89] Due to the narrow scope of the changes, which also apply to only those athletes competing in the
400m,
800m, and
1500m, many people thought the rule change was designed specifically to target Semenya.
[90][91][92][93]
On 19 June 2018, Semenya announced that she would legally challenge the IAAF rules. On 1 May 2019, the
Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected her challenge, paving the way for the new rules to come into effect on 8 May 2019.
[94] During the legal challenge by Semenya, the IAAF amended the regulations to exclude hyperandrogenism associated with the 46,XX
karyotype and clarified that the disorders of *** development affected by the regulations are specific to the 46,XY karyotype.
[95][96] The legal case divided commentators such as Doriane Coleman, who testified for the IAAF, arguing that women's sport requires certain biological traits, from commentators such as Eric Vilain, who testified for Semenya, arguing that "*** is not defined by one particular parameter ... for many human reasons, it's so difficult to exclude women who've always lived their entire lives as women — to suddenly tell them 'you just don't belong here.'"
[97]
Semenya has appealed the decision to the
Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
[98] On 3 June 2019, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court advised that they had "super-provisionally instructed the IAAF to suspend the application of the 'Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification for athletes with differences of *** development' with respect to the claimant [Semenya]" until the court decides whether to issue an
interlocutory injunction.
[99] On 30 July 2019, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling that had suspended the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision and the IAAF rules. For that reason, Semenya missed the
2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha in October 2019, while continuing her appeal.
[100]
In July 2019, Semenya said that the ongoing issue has "destroyed" her "mentally and physically".
[101]
In 2020, Semenya announced that she had decided to switch to the 200 meters for the
2020 Tokyo Olympics, in order to avoid the
400m to
one mile ban.
[103] In order to qualify for the 200 meters, Semenya must achieve the qualifying time of 22.80.
[104] She had previously won the 5000m at the South African championship in 2019.
[105]
