I’M FINISHED
Semenya future in doubt after shock tweet
CASTER Semenya has increased doubt about her future after writing a cryptic tweet declaring: ‘I’m finished.’ The 28-year-old South African lost her court case against athletics’ world governing body — the IAAF — this week and must now take pills to lower her testosterone level if she is to compete at distances between 400metres and a mile.
Semenya has confirmed she will run the 800m at the IAAF’s Diamond League opener in Doha tonight, in what will be her final race before the commencement of the IAAF’s controversial regulations over testosterone levels next Wednesday.
But she heightened doubt about her future by signing off a tweet yesterday with words that translate into ‘I’m finished’. d’.
Figures in the sport rt believe it is more likely the double Olympic champion will convert to the 5,000m rather than quit or bow to the requirement of taking medication to lower her testosterone in order to run the 800m m or 1500m.
A further tweet from Semenya, menya who is also considering an appeal, read: ‘Knowing when to walk away is wisdom. Being able to is courage. Walking away with your head held high is dignity.’
IAAF president Lord Coe has broken his silence on the subject, albeit briefly. Speaking in Doha yesterday, he said: ‘It is very straightforward for any association in sport. Athletics has two classifications — it has age and it has gender. We are fiercely protective of both. We are really grateful that CAS has upheld that principle.’
Coe then refused to take more questions on the case.
It will remain top of the agenda in
Doha tonight, however, not least because the 800m field will also include Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba, who took 800m silver behind Semenya at Rio 2016 and recently said for the first time that she has high testosterone levels and will be affected by the new regulations.
Britain’s Lynsey Sharp will also be running, having been critical about Semenya after that Olympic final. Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson believes believ the regulations are right for women’s athletics. at He said: ‘IIt was always going to t be a difficult situation because, through no fault of her own, she just happens p to have this condition. t The decision was based ba on the fairness of sports, spo so that there is a level playing playi field for all of the athletes lt iin any given race.’ But the World Medical Association has reiterated its advice to doctors around the world to take no part in helping to implement the new IAAF rules on reducing testosterone.
WMA President Dr Leonid Eidelman said: ‘We have strong reservations about the ethical validity of these regulations. They are based on weak evidence from a single study, which is currently being widely debated by the scientific community.
‘They are also contrary to a number of key WMA ethical statements and declarations, and as such we are calling for their immediate withdrawal’.