Caster Semenya appealed against the IAAF's testosterone rules to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.GETTY IMAGES
The IAAF will not apply rules to limit natural testosterone levels in female runners "until the Court of Arbitration for Sport concludes an appeal case" brought by Olympic Gold Medalist Caster Semenya, according to the AP. The governing body said on Tuesday that it agreed to postpone the intended Nov. 1 start for eligibility rules until CAS gives a verdict, which is "expected on or before" March 26. That target date is six months and two days before the start of the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. If the IAAF's rules for athletes with differences of sex development are upheld by the court, female runners will be "forced to medicate to reduce their testosterone levels for six months before racing internationally" in disciplines from 400m through the mile. The organization said, "The IAAF remains very confident of the legal, scientific, and ethical bases for the regulations, and therefore fully expects the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reject these challenges." The revised timetable "could wreck the outdoor track season" for Semenya and other runners with high natural testosterone levels who do not opt to begin medicating before the verdict (AP, 10/16). RTÉ reported for her part, Semenya, who is being supported by Athletics South Africa, agreed to an "expedited hearing." IAAF President Sebastian Coe said, "Prolonging the uncertainty for athletes looking to compete in these distances next year and beyond is unfair and so we have reached a compromise with the claimants." With the "vast majority of women having less than 1.79 nmol/L in their blood streams," the limit is "intended to address the competitive advantage women with naturally high levels of the hormone are believed to possess" (RTÉ, 10/16).
