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CAS to announce decision on new rules for women athletes

Caster Semenya
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The Court of Arbitration of Sport(CAS) is expected to announce its decision at noon on Wednesday on the validity of the IAAF’s planned new rules for women running events between 400 and 1 500 metres.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) will decide next week what to do should Wednesday’s decision goes against Caster Semenya.

The IAAF wants to limit the amount of naturally produced testosterone women can have in their bodies.

CAS held a prolonged hearing in February, following Semenya’s challenge to the proposals, although it’s believed that it will affect a number of top international athletes.

ASA president Aleck Skosana says if the decision goes against them, he will meet with Semenya, the Sport Department and their legal teams to decide the way forward.

He says: “We will be able to meet next week to be able to look at all the probabilities we will do if this happens and what we will not do if this and that happens.”

“We will wait and probably by Monday, Tuesday we will be able to come together and craft a plan going forward on what we are going to do if things do not come out the way they are supposed to.”

Semenya and ASA are fighting a highly-publicised case against the IAAF, which seeks to limit natural levels of testosterone in female athletes in the distances that Semenya excels at.

The IAAF believes their case is based on science and they brought forth expert opinion. This was, however, countered by expert opinion brought by Semenya’s council.

Semenya excelled at the ASA Senior Championships, which ended on Saturday, where she scooped two individual titles.

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