World Athletics will seek the reversal of the ECHR decision in the case of Olympic champion Semenya

The International Association of Athletics Federations (World Athletics) has said it disagrees with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to uphold the doubles appeal Olympic champion in the 800 meters. seed thrower in the case of testosterone drop, according to a press release from World Athletics.

On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled by a slim four-to-three majority that Semenya’s initial appeal against World Athletics rules had not been properly considered. The athlete was able to defy the rules that require female athletes with high levels of testosterone to reduce this level with the help of drugs. In February 2021, a 32-year-old South African woman seized the Swiss Federal Court after losing her appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

– World Athletics takes note of the decision of the ECHR chamber, in which opinions are divided. We continue to believe that the testosterone reduction rules are a necessary, reasonable and proportionate way to protect fair competition in the women’s category, as determined by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Court after careful consideration and peer-reviewed evidence.

The case was filed against the Swiss state and not against World Athletics. We will be in contact with the Swiss government on the next steps and, given the strong opposition to the decision, we will urge them to seek a referral of the case to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights for a final and irrevocable decision.

In the meantime, the current testosterone reduction rules approved by the World Athletics Board of Directors in March 2023 will remain in effect, the statement said.

Semenya is a double Olympic champion, triple world champion in the 800 meters. The last time she participated in the world championship in 2017, where she won gold and bronze. The athlete was suspended from the 2019 World Championships in Qatar after the Swiss Federal Court reversed its decision to suspend the IAAF (now World Athletics) rule allowing female athletes with high levels of testosterone.