Wambui hits out at IAAF testosterone level rule
Another Olympic medalist has criticised the IAAF’S testosterone regulations and said she will refuse to t a ke h o r mo n e - r e d u c i n g medication.
M a r g a r e t Wa m b u i o f Kenya, who won bronze in the 800 metres behind C a s t e r S e m e n y a a t t h e 2016 Olympics, said she is affected by the new rules but won’t take “any type of medication” to lower her natural testosterone.
Without medication or surgery, some female runners won’t b e allowed to compete at anymore international meetings this season, including this year’s world championships.
“It’s wrong of (the) IAAF to ask us to take medicine to alter our natural body function,” said Wambui, adding that she was unsure what side effects any medication or treatment might have. The 23-year-old, the world junior champion in the 800 in 2014, compared the regulations to “losing your job”.
“T h i s r u l i n g i s v e r y unf air,” she said. “I have g r ow n u p k n ow i n g t h a t I wan t t o d o a t h l e t i c s a s a career and achieve a lot through it. Why wait for me to establish myself as an 800m athlete then tell me that I need to take medication to compete?
“This season I was focusi n g o n t h e wo r l d c h a m - pionships and Diamond League races but all that effort has gone to waste.”
Double Olympic 800m champion S emenya l o s t her case against the IAAF at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing the governing body to implement testosterone limits in races from 400m to one mile.
F e m a l e a t h l e t e s w h o have one of a set of conditions that cause testosterone levels higher than the typical female range now have to lower those levels to be eligible for international events. Those seeking to compete at the world championships in Doha, Qatar, in the autmun had to start lowering their testosterone by 8 May.
Wa m b u i’s d e c l a r a t i o n she is affected by the rules means all three 800m medallists at 2016 Rio 2016 have said they have high natural levels of testosterone.