Caster Semenya Wins Major Legal Victory in Fight Against Discriminatory Sports Rules

Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya won a major legal victory on Tuesday when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that she was discriminated against by sports rules that force her to medically reduce her natural hormone levels to compete in major competitions.

The court found that the rules, which were introduced by World Athletics, the international governing body of track and field, raised “serious questions” about their validity. The ruling was a major moment in throwing doubt on the future of the rules.

Semenya, who is from South Africa, has been fighting the rules since they were introduced in 2011. She has argued that they are discriminatory and that they violate her human rights. The rules require female athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone to take medication to reduce their hormone levels in order to compete in certain events.

The court’s decision was a major victory for Semenya, who has been fighting the rules for almost a decade. However, the court’s ruling was against the government of Switzerland, and not World Athletics itself, so it is unclear what the implications of the ruling will be for the rules.

Semenya has said that she will continue to fight for her right to compete without restriction and to go for another gold at next year’s Olympics in Paris. It remains to be seen how the court’s ruling will affect her bid.