South Africa’s athlete, Semenya ends seven-year legal battle over sex eligibility rules

South African Olympic champion Caster Semenya has decided to end her long legal fight against sex eligibility rules in athletics, her lawyer said on Thursday.

Semenya’s lawyer, Patrick Bracher, told the Associated Press that the runner will not continue her appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court, even though she recently won a ruling at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in July.

“Caster’s legal challenge reached the highest possible court with a very successful outcome and will not be taken further,” Bracher said.

A Long Battle in Court

Semenya, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters, has been banned from competing in her main event at top competitions since 2019. This happened because she refused to take medication to lower her naturally high testosterone levels, as required by

World Athletics rules.

Since 2018, she has challenged these rules in three major courts — the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and the European Court of Human Rights.

Semenya lost her appeals at CAS and the Swiss court. However, in July, the European court ruled that she had not received a fair hearing in Switzerland and that her arguments were not properly considered.

That decision opened the door for her to continue fighting, but she has now chosen to stop.

Career Cut Short

Once the world’s top middle-distance runner, Semenya was unbeaten in over 30 races before being barred from competition. Now 34 years old, she has moved into coaching, with her professional running career effectively over.

Semenya has a condition known as differences in sex development (DSD), meaning she has both male and female traits and higher-than-usual testosterone levels for women.

She was identified and raised as a girl and has always seen herself as female.

Despite this, World Athletics argues that athletes like Semenya have testosterone levels similar to men, giving them a physical advantage in strength and endurance.

Rules Become Tougher

Athletics’ governing body first introduced testosterone rules for female athletes in 2011  shortly after Semenya’s rise to fame. Over the years, the rules have become stricter.

Under new regulations, which took effect on September 1, women competing internationally must now undergo genetic tests to check for a Y chromosome.

Those who fail are banned from competing in women’s events.
Bracher noted that the current rules are very different from the ones Semenya originally challenged, but her European court victory might help other athletes in future legal battles.

Impact Beyond Athletics

Semenya’s case has been one of the most debated topics in sports for nearly 20 years.

It has influenced how other sports, including swimming, handle participation of athletes with DSD conditions.

Although her legal fight has ended, experts say her struggle has already reshaped the global discussion about gender, fairness, and inclusion in sports.