back

The Life of Intersex Runner Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya is an Olympic gold medalist — but she was recently barred from competing at the next IAAF World Athletics Championships because of her testosterone levels. This is her story. 👟

Quick decisions on “someone looks like a man”

An Olympic champion who has hyperandrogenism, Caster Semenya was born in 1991, in South Africa. As a child, she played soccer but later switched to track and field. At the age of 18, she was noticed at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. Her appearance, deep voice and performance surprised many. She was suspected of being a man. The International Association of Athletics Federations conducted “femininity testing” on her.

Nick Davis IAAF spokesman states, “There is a protocol, it’s the IOC’s protocol, the Olympic sport protocol, on gender verification. And that’s why it’s so rigorous and so important to do the tests and not to make quick judgements, quick decisions on “someone looks like a man; therefore, they must be a man.” In August 2010, the verdict came: she is intersex and has hyperandrogenism — which means her body produces a high level of testosterone.”

Starting in 2009 for 2 years, the Federation and the Court of Arbitration for Sport clashed over draft legislation that could prevent her from competing or require her to undergo hormone treatment. In January 2017, she renewed her vows to her partner, Violet Raseboya, who she’d married in a traditional ceremony in 2015. A few months later, she won her 3rd title for the 800 meters and won the bronze medal for the 1,500 meters in the World Championships held in London.

In March 2018, she earned a degree in Sports Science. In May 2019, the International Association of Athletics Federations introduced a regulation requiring female athletes with hyperandrogenism to undergo treatment to lower their testosterone level before they can compete in races ranging from 400 meters to a mile. In July 2019, despite the appeals Semenya submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Supreme Court, the Federation’s regulation held. Semenya was barred from competing and will not be able to participate in the World Championships taking place this September in Qatar.

Brut.

08/03/2019 11:57 AM
  • 27.3k
  • 61

Sports

  1. 2:36

    Celebs team up to buy women's soccer team

  2. 6:56

    The life of Dennis Rodman

  3. 4:12

    The controversial history of the "Redskins"

  4. 10:00

    The life of Lance Armstrong

  5. 4:46

    How taking a knee became a protest symbol

  6. 3:18

    Green Beret Stands for Kaepernick

51 comments

  • Gregory G.
    09/01/2019 01:17

    So she was born a female,but she has higher testosterone levels than other females that she compete against.Okay in the 70"s,and 80's,those east german,and Russian female athletes must have had the same condition.

  • Liz B.
    08/31/2019 23:04

    They always come up with some rules because I hope another Black person win.

  • Reginald W.
    08/31/2019 05:41

    Yelp that's a man

  • Patricia G.
    08/28/2019 03:13

    This is crazy keep fighting

  • Tracy L.
    08/25/2019 21:51

    She throwing up the hooks in a few of these pictures

  • Gloria P.
    08/25/2019 14:04

    I wish people would leave people alone

  • Vicki W.
    08/24/2019 18:22

    🤔

  • Clifton J.
    08/22/2019 16:50

    Raise her leg up ,if she has a vigina she's a woman

  • Amir F.
    08/22/2019 16:34

    Wow! That’s crazy

  • Ricardo M.
    08/22/2019 16:33

    That is crazy!!

  • Tyler C.
    08/22/2019 07:00

    Honestly thought it was a man before I read the captions.

  • KaTerria E.
    08/21/2019 03:19

    Sound like haters to me😒

  • Marlo W.
    08/20/2019 23:06

    Somebody please help me to understand the difference in a transgender male, who takes estrogen or whatever-but still a man, and her, who produces the male hormones naturally. They should stop those who were born a man who are transgender from competing against those that were born a woman.

  • Aaron C.
    08/20/2019 03:06

    How tf are they claiming that someone without a Y chromosome is a biological man?

  • Mikel B.
    08/20/2019 01:15

    So when will they start testing Male figure skaters to make sure they ENOUGH TESTOSTERONE to be considered men?

  • Crystal N.
    08/19/2019 02:07

    This is wrong.

  • Elnora S.
    08/19/2019 01:23

    This is ABSURD.😖😖

  • Winnie T.
    08/17/2019 05:59

    The cheek bones, the form on that track🙂🤗😊👏!

  • Nicole B.
    08/10/2019 22:13

    So a natural born women can’t compete but people who identify as the opposite sex can??

  • Mikael P.
    08/08/2019 15:15

    And how will you define a Man? Pls dont answer Internet is forever