This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
June 11, 2019, marked a significant moment in the career of South African athlete Caster Semenya, as seen in a photo taken at a small meeting in Montreuil, near Paris, France. Semenya, the two-time defending Olympic champion at 800m, is currently banned from competing in any race from 400m to a mile after World Athletics ruled in 2018 that women with high natural testosterone levels must take medication to reduce them to compete in middle-distance races.
However, Semenya refuses to take any medication to alter her testosterone levels, and she will continue to battle against the ruling despite losing several appeals over the last two years.
"The ban doesn't make sense at all. But hey, that's none of my business. I'll leave it up to the right people to handle the situation, I’ll keep fighting for my rights," Semenya told Belgian television after finishing fourth in a 5000m race in Liege on Wednesday.
Her case has been taken to the European Court of Human Rights, but the process is unlikely to be completed for months. In the meantime, Semenya failed in a long shot bid to go to the games, first in the 200m and then at 5000m.
