South African track star, Caster Semenya’s controversial reign of middle distance running may be cut short following the issue of new Eligibility Regulations for Female Classification by world governing body, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

On Thursday, the IAAF published a statement on their website spelling out regulations for athletes who cover events from 400m to the mile, including 400m, hurdles races, 800m, 1500m, one mile races and combined events over the same distances (‘Restricted Events’). The IAAF announced a separate classification for athletes of Difference of Sexual Development (DSD) which will require those athletes to reduce their blood testosterone levels and maintain those levels if they want to compete internationally.

The new Regulations, approved by the IAAF Council in March, will come into effect from 1 November 2018 and replace the previous Regulations Governing Eligibility of Females with Hyperandrogenism. This comes on the back of a decade-long debate over the controversy sparked by Semenya, who is the most famous athlete suffering from Hyperandrogenism, also known as androgen excess. Hyperandrogenism is a medical condition characterized by excessive levels of androgens (male sex hormones such as testosterone) in the female body and the associated effects of the elevated androgen levels.

The new rules effectively mean that Semenya’s long and controversial reign as the queen of middle distance will come to an end, unless she takes medication to lower the androgens in her body. Semenya, double Olympic and triple world champion over 800m who completed the 800-1500 double at the Commonwealth Games this month, has always been a controversial figure in the sport as its authorities have sought a solution that respected her rights while also providing a “level playing field”.

Ever since she won the 800m title as an 18 year old in 2009, Semenya’s career has been dogged by controversies to do with her being hyperandrogenous. Some of her rivals have in fact had her rivals complaining that they faced an impossible and unfair challenge in her.
The IAAF Council announced last month that following a review of available evidence it would revise its regulations, with the changes coming into force on Nov. 1.

According to the new rules DSD athletes will have to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 5nmol/L for a continuous period of at least six months and must maintain those levels continuously for the rest of their athletic career. Female athletes who want to take part in international events but do not lower their testosterone levels will be allowed to compete against men.

South African Sports minister Tokozile Xasa has since labelled the new IAAF rules as ‘Caster Semenya regulations’. In a strong worded statement released following the official announcement by the IAAF, Xasa said her government would continue to engage with relevant bodies and utilise all available avenues to ensure that Semenya and other athletes likely to be affected by the regulations are allowed to participate unhindered by measures intended to reduce their competitive edge.

In the statement, IAAF president Sebastian Coe is quoted as saying: “As the International Federation for our sport we have a responsibility to ensure a level playing field for athletes. Like many other sports we choose to have two classifications for our competition – men’s events and women’s events. This means we need to be clear about the competition criteria for these two categories.

Our evidence and data show that testosterone, either naturally produced or artificially inserted into the body, provides significant performance advantages in female athletes. The revised rules are not about cheating, no athlete with a DSD has cheated, they are about levelling the playing field to ensure fair and meaningful competition in the sport of athletics where success is determined by talent, dedication and hard work rather than other contributing factors.”

“The latest research we have undertaken, and data we have compiled, show that there is a performance advantage in female athletes with DSD over the track distances covered by this rule,” Dr Stephane Bermon from the IAAF Medical and Science Department is also quoted as saying on the IAAF site.

The New Regulations

The new Regulations require any athlete who has a Difference of Sexual Development (DSD) that means her levels of circulating testosterone (in serum) are five (5) nmol/L or above and who is androgen-sensitive to meet the following criteria to be eligible to compete in Restricted Events in an International Competition (or set a World Record in a Restricted Event at competition that is not an International Competition):

(a) she must be recognised at law either as female or as intersex (or equivalent
b) she must reduce her blood testosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a continuous period of at least six months (e.g., by use of hormonal contraceptives);
and (c) thereafter she must maintain her blood testosterone level below five (5) nmol/L continuously (ie: whether she is in competition or out of competition) for so long as she wishes to remain eligible.