Semterya accuses Sebastian Coe of "opening old wounds" | sport

Caster Semenya accused Sebastian Coe of "opening old wounds" after commenting on the double Olympic champion in a newspaper article.

The South African middle distance runner, Semenya, has challenged the International Association of Athletics' offer to force her to take testosterone-lowering drugs.

Lord Coe, president of the IAAF, said this weekend at the Australian Daily Telegraph: "If we do not rank women, it's because no woman would win another title, another medal or a new record in our sport. " fight back against Coe and the governing body of world athletics highlighting his suffering in a statement.

"The scars developed by Ms. Semenya over the past decade are profound. She endured and forged a symbol of strength, hope and courage, "read the statement released on behalf of Semenya and her legal team.

"Reading Mr. Coe's comments this weekend opened these old wounds and the reference made by the Daily Telegraph (Australia) to" Semenya's musculature "is only the last illustration of how the innuendo distorted the problems. "

The decision of the sports arbitration tribunal, announced last week, has been postponed until next month in the historic dispute over testosterone limits for female athletes. The IAAF wants to put a limit on the amount of testosterone that female athletes can have in their bloodstream, forcing those with high levels of hormone to take drugs to reduce their testosterone levels closer to normal. .

The statement added: "Ms. Semenya does not wish to undergo medical intervention to change who she is and how she was born. She wants to compete naturally. Women with DDS are born with rare genetic differences. These differences must be celebrated in sports like all the other genetic variations that make events elite to watch.

"Mr. Coe is wrong to think that Ms. Semenya is a threat to women's sport. Ms. Semenya is a heroine and inspirational model for girls around the world who dream of achieving excellence in the sport.

"Mrs. Semenya hopes and dreams that one day she will be able to run without judgment, without discrimination and in a world where she is accepted for who she is."