South African runner Caster Semenya has achieved victory in her case before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, News About Nigeria reports.
Semenya successfully appealed to the court on Tuesday against World Athletics’ classification of her as having “differences in sexual development.”
The two-time Olympic 800m champion contested the validity of World Athletics’ requirement for women with high testosterone levels to undergo drug treatments to reduce those levels.
Previously, Semenya was barred from participating in her preferred distance (800m) by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Switzerland’s appeals court, unless she agreed to take testosterone-lowering drugs.
Consequently, Semenya brought her case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, questioning whether her rights had been violated by the obligation to take the drugs or risk competing at her level.
The court ruled in favor of Semenya, recognizing that “the applicant had not been provided with adequate institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to effectively address her grievances.”
However, it is important to note that the court’s decision does not challenge the ruling made by World Athletics, nor does it enable Semenya to return to competition in the 800m event.
Although Semenya’s victory is seen as symbolic, it does not grant her the opportunity to compete in her desired distance on the track.
