This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
On August 14, 2019, South African athlete Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic 800m champion, expressed her defiance in the face of a ruling that has banned her from defending her world middle distance title in Doha in September.
The 28-year-old has been at the center of a bitter legal battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) over rules that force female athletes to regulate their testosterone levels.
Speaking at a women's empowerment conference in Johannesburg, Semenya stated, "I'm targeted because I'm undefeated...I'm the best at what I do."
When you are the best in the world people get obsessed with what you are doing.
"Probably I'm a 'problem' because I'm an over-achiever so we must get rid of you," said the self-confident athlete.
Despite the controversy surrounding her, Semenya remains focused on her training, describing it as her "weapon." She added that she has no plans of quitting running anytime soon.
The IAAF's DSD rules, which came into effect on May 8, 2019, require women with higher than normal male hormone levels to artificially lower their testosterone to run in certain distances.
