Semenya does her talking on the track with new 1,500m record

Caster Semenya last night delivered an emphatic response at the season-opening Diamond League meeting in Doha to the furore surrounding athletics’ new eligibility rules which will require her to take medication to lower her testosterone levels.

The 27-year-old set a new South African record in winning the 1,500 metres in three minutes 59.92 seconds, more than a second clear of the field.

The double Olympic 800m champion will be affected by the new regulations for female classification for athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) for events from the 400m to the mile. Athletes with DSD, like Semenya, have significantly higher testosterone levels than the women they are in competition with and the new regulations require them to lower the amount of the hormone in their blood.

The rules, introduced by world governing body the IAAF, will come into force in November, but have been fiercely criticised in South Africa and could yet be challenged in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “I don’t talk about nonsense,” Semenya was quoted as saying by BBC Sport when asked about the rules.

She added on the Diamond League website: “I wanted to go faster but had to slow down a little. It’s always been a dream to set the national record and continue to push beyond my personal best and I think we definitely achieved what we came here for. I want to maintain this momentum throughout the season.”

Elsewhere, Great Britain’s Holly Bradshaw finished second in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.64m.

Nethaneel Mitchell-blake was fifth in the 200m in 20.37secs as American Noah Lyles won with a meeting record 19.83s. Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba ran the fastest 400m hurdles since 2010 by clocking 47.57.