Caster Semenya Ends Seven‑Year Legal Challenge Over Women's Eligibility
South African Olympian Caster Semenya has abandoned a seven‑year legal challenge to World Athletics’ sex‑eligibility rules after appeals through multiple tribunals, her attorney said in an email to the Associated Press. The case—tied to rules governing athletes with differences of sex development (DSD)—had reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Swiss Federal Tribunal and the European Court of Human Rights; the ECHR found in July that the Swiss tribunal had not given Semenya a fair hearing, but Semenya now will not pursue further action, according to her lawyer.
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🔍 Key Facts
- Caster Semenya, a two‑time 800m Olympic champion, has ended a seven‑year legal challenge to sex‑eligibility rules enforced by World Athletics.
- Her attorney, Patrick Bracher, told the Associated Press by email that the challenge "will not be taken further in the circumstances."
- The dispute involved multiple tribunals: Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Swiss Federal Tribunal and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), with the ECHR in July finding Semenya had not received a fair hearing at the Swiss tribunal.
- World Athletics adopted a March 2023 policy change excluding transgender women who have gone through male puberty and has argued that a small group of DSD athletes have testosterone levels in the male range, creating an unfair advantage.