The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has made an announcement that they will be hearing the case of Caster Semenya, the two-time 800 metres Olympic champion, in their Grand Chamber.
This decision comes after a referral request from the Swiss government.
Semenya, 32, wants to hold World Athletics body to account for what she terms as discrimination against athletes with hyperandrogenism.
This medical condition is characterized by higher than usual levels of testosterone, a hormone that contributes to increased muscle mass and strength.
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She is attempting to overturn the regulations that mandate female athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) to medically lower their testosterone levels.
After an unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2019 and a Swiss Federal Court in 2020, the ECHR, in July of this year, ruled in Semenya’s favor with a majority vote of four to three, stating that her appeal in the latter case had not received a proper hearing.
In an interview with Reuters last month, Semenya mentioned that her active competitive running career is likely in the past, but she remains steadfast in her commitment to the legal battle against World Athletics.
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“It is no longer about me fighting to compete, it is about fighting for what is right. Fighting for the upcoming generation, because there are a lot of kids that are affected by the same ruling. This battle will not finish now. We will fight until the end,” said Semenya.
The sport’s governing body maintains that its regulations are the necessary measures to maintain a level playing field in the women’s category.
