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South Africa's two-time South African champion challenges an IAAF decision to force hyperandrogenic athletes or those with "badual development differences" (DSD) to reduce their testosterone levels if they want to continue to compete as women.
The Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is due to issue its judgment on Wednesday.
The rules, which target events from 400 meters to one mile, were to come into effect in November of last year before being delayed by Semenya's challenge to the CAS.
Semenya, who is the most dominant middle-distance runner of her generation, is hyperandrogenic, which means that she has a high testosterone level, a condition that blocks her athletic career since she won the world title of the 800 meters 2009.
Hyperandrogenism is an estimated medical condition in 5% to 10% of women.
Semenya is identified as a woman, but an excess of testosterone increases muscle mbad in women and increases their strength, stamina and physical energy. Some critics argue that it distorts the athletes' playing field.
According to the rules proposed by the IAAF, athletes clbadified in the DSD category should reduce their testosterone levels in the blood for a continuous period of at least six months, in order to maintain these levels continuously during the rest of their sports career.
While the current number of internationally active hyperandrogenic and transgender athletes is considered relatively small, Wednesday's decision will likely have a seismic impact on the future of the sport.
"Fair competition and treatment"
"This standard is necessary to ensure fair competition for all women, because without it, we risk losing the next generation of female athletes, because they will see no way to success in our sport."
According to other experts, the research conducted so far has not been conclusive and this is a quirk of biology, which is not provided for in legislation in other disciplines. For example, few swimmers have the stature of Michael Phelps or the combination of size and fast-twitch muscles like Usain Bolt.
Semenya has received support from South Africa and some selected voices from the sport.
The great American athlete Ed Moses said earlier this year that it was important that Semenya be "treated fairly" and that athletics had the "head in the ground" on the issue.
Athletics South Africa said its country had "the constitutional obligation to challenge any human rights violations, as defined by our experiences under apartheid" before the hearing.
South Africa's Minister of Sport and Recreation, Tokozile Xasa, confirmed this position by saying that the issue was about more than sport.
"The women's bodies, their well-being, their ability to earn a living, their very identity, their privacy and their sense of security and belonging to the world are in doubt." A flagrant violation of international human rights law accepted, "Xasa said at the beginning of the case.
Xasa also said that it seemed like the Olympic champion was being targeted by the IAAF, the only competitions covered by his new rules appearing to be those of Semenya.
A career in the honor
The South African was finally allowed to resume the competition, but a new rule imposing testosterone limits was introduced in 2011. This guideline was later overruled by the CAS in 2015.
Semenya then won Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, adding to a late gold medal in London four years earlier after earning money from a doping offense committed. by the winner, the Russian Mariya Savinova.
On Friday, Semenya won gold in the 5000m at the South African Championships in Athletics. This represents a new event for Semenya and an event that would not be covered by the new rules of the IAAF.
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