President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Sebastian Coe has insisted that the association’s female eligibility regulations, which finally came into effect in May, 2019 after several months of delay, are not targeted at a particular athlete, even though Caster Semenya is the first name that comes to mind whenever the highly-controversial and heated issue is being discussed.
As a result of her refusal to comply with the IAAF ruling, which requires athletes with a difference in sexual development to take testosterone-reducing medication, Semenya has been barred from defending her 800m title at this month’s World Athletics Championships in Doha.
NOT A PERSONAL ISSUE The 28-year-old, who is hyperandrogenous and has high levels of testosterone, took it upon herself to go head to head with the world athletics governing body in court, and the high-profile case has seen deliberations going on for months.
Speaking to CNN’s Amanda Davies in a recent interview, Coe revealed that he has not spoken directly to Caster Semenya regarding this sensitive matter.
“And I haven’t because this is not about an individual athlete,” he explained. “It’s not about a particular country. It’s not about a particular continent. I don’t see this as a personal issue. I see this as the right decision and those regulations have been tabled for what I believe are the right reasons,” Coe said.
COURT CASE In May, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favour of the IAAF, but Semenya did not relent, taking the case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, where a final decision is yet to be made.
With the eligibility regulations, the IAAF aims to preserve “the integrity of female athletics in the Restricted Events”. But this move has split the world in two with one part feeling it goes against human rights.
In June, Semenya, after winning the 2,000m at the Meeting de Montreuil in Paris, said: “I’m not an idiot. Why will I take drugs? I’m a pure athlete. I don’t cheat. They should focus on doping, not us. I’m never going to take drugs.”
BACK ON TRACK When asked if he has any sympathy for Semenya, who has not been convicted of doping but is rather being restricted from competing because of a rare genetic condition which is not of her own making, Coe responded:
“I have clearly a sympathy for the efforts we are trying to make,” said Coe. “I hope she does come back on to the track and I do hope that the athletes with that condition to take the medical direction that allows them to do that.”
“The one thing I’m very proud about in our sport is we don’t shirk the difficult issues,” Coe added. “Very few big organizations wanted to take the lead role in the challenges around around DSD (disorders of sex development).
TRANSGENDER “Transgender is going to be a massive issue. I want athletics to always be at the forefront of thought leadership. That isn’t an easy position to be in, but it is the right position to be in. I’m happy that our sport is brave enough to want to challenge these issues and take them head on.”
The World Athletics Championships in Doha are set to take place from September 27 to October 6 and Semenya, who won the women’s 800m during the IAAF Diamond League event at the Khalifa International Stadium on May 3 in Doha, will definitely be a big miss.
The two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion recently signed for a football club in her home country, South Africa (JVW FC) with the hope of playing competitively in the league from next season.
Meanwhile Sebastian Coe, a double Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist, is set to be re-elected unopposed as IAAF President a second four-year term in Doha before the Championships begin.
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