Semenya’s Woman Status, Unquestionable, Says Lawyer
South Africa;s Caster Semenya’s lawyers have insisted that the world and Olympic 800m champion is “unquestionably a woman” before a court case against athletics’ governing body.
Semenya is challenging a proposed IAAF rule that aims to restrict the levels of testosterone in female runners.
UK’s The Times reported that IAAF lawyers will say Semenya, 28, is a “biological male” as well as classified as female.
The IAAF denied on Wednesday it will class any athlete with “differences of sexual development” (DSD) as male.
“Ms Semenya is unquestionably a woman,” said Semenya’s lawyers in a statement on Thursday.
“She is a heroine and an inspiration to many people around the world.
“Ms Semenya is fighting for her right to run without being required to undergo unnecessary medical intervention - she is fighting to run free.”
The case will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) next week.
The IAAF intended to bring in new rules on 1 November last year but put that back to 26 March to wait for the outcome of the legal challenge from Semenya and Athletics South Africa.
The rules will apply to women in track events from 400m up to the mile and require that athletes have to keep their testosterone levels below a prescribed amount “for at least six months prior to competing”.
Semenya’s lawyers said she asks to be “respected and treated as any other athlete”.
“Women with differences in sexual development have genetic variations that are no different than other genetic variations that are celebrated in sport,” they said.
“Her genetic gift should be celebrated, not discriminated against.”
The IAAF said it accepted the legal sex of DSD athletes - of whom Semenya is the most notable - “without question” and permit them to compete in the female category.
“However, if a DSD athlete has testes and male levels of testosterone, they get the same increases in bone and muscle size and strength and increases in haemoglobin that a male gets when they go through puberty, which is what gives men such a performance advantage over women,” it added.