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SEMENYA LOSES SWISS SUPREME COURT APPEAL OVER WORLD ATHLETICS TESTOSTERONE RULES
BY ALI IVESON
Caster Semenya has lost an appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court over a World Athletics ruling which means she must take testosterone-reducing medication in order to be eligible to compete.
The current rules force athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) to take drugs to medically reduce their naturally-occurring testosterone if they want to compete in women’s events ranging from 400 metres to a mile.
Semenya, the 800m champion at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, had previously appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the policy, but was unsuccessful.
This latest ruling is a further blow for Semenya, who will be unable to defend her Olympic crown at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games unless she takes medication as things stand.
“I am very disappointed by this ruling, but refuse to let World Athletics drug me or stop me from being who I am,” the South African said in response to the ruling.
“Excluding female athletes or endangering our health solely because of our natural abilities puts World Athletics on the wrong side of history.
“I will continue to fight for the human rights of female athletes, both on the track and off the track, until we can all run free the way we were born.
“I know what is right and will do all I can to protect basic human rights, for young girls everywhere.”
The World Athletics regulations mean that DSD athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone wanting to compete over the distances in question need to medically limit that level to less than 5 nmol/L, double the normal female range of below 2 nmol/L.
World Athletics, known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) when the controversial rules were introduced, insists that they exist to protect women’s sport, but others have criticised them for infringing on human rights.
World Athletics welcomed what it termed a decision “to uphold our DSD Regulations as a legitimate and proportionate means of protecting the right of all female athletes to participate in our sport on fair and meaningful terms”.
The governing body also “rejected the suggestion that they infringe any athlete’s human rights, including the right to dignity and the right to bodily integrity.”
A United Nations report published in July was critical of the regulations, which it said “effectively legitimise the surveillance of all women athletes based on stereotypes of femininity” and “denies athletes with variations in sex characteristics an equal right to participate in sports and violates the right to non-discrimination more broadly.”
Human Rights Watch has also condemned the World Athletics rules.
A World Athletics statement added: “World Athletics fully respects each individual’s personal dignity and supports the social movement to have people accepted in society based on their chosen legal sex and/or gender identity.
“As the SFT [Swiss Federal Tribunal] specifically recognised, however, the DSD Regulations are not about challenging an individual’s gender identity, but rather about protecting fair competition for all female athletes.
“The Swiss Federal Tribunal acknowledged that innate characteristics can distort the fairness of competitions, noted that in sport several categories (such as weight categories) have been created based on biometric data, and confirmed that ‘It is above all up to the sports federations to determine to what extent a particular physical advantage is likely to distort competition and, if necessary, to introduce legally admissible eligibility rules to remedy this state of affairs.’
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with World Athletics in its 30 April 2019 award and now the SFT has also agreed that ‘In some contexts, such as competitive sport, biological characteristics may, exceptionally and for the purposes of fairness and equal opportunity, trump a person’s legal sex or gender identity’.”
Norton Rose Fulbright, the law firm representing Semenya, said she was considering her options and highlighted that the World Medical Association had previously called on physicians not to help implement the World Athletics regulations.
In contrast, the CAS verdict found the regulations to be “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to protect the fairness of women’s sport.
In addition to the Olympic titles, Semenya is a three-time world champion over 800m – winning gold medals in 2009, 2011 and 2017.
Semenya won Commonwealth Games titles in the 800m and 1500m races at Gold Coast 2018.
Now 29, Semenya has had to deal with controversy and innuendo throughout her career, dating back to when the IAAF asked the athlete to take a gender test in 2009 and it became public knowledge on the day she won the 800m world title as an 18-year-old.
She is the most high-profile athlete impacted by the current rules regarding DSD athletes’ testosterone levels.
They came into force in November 2018, with Semenya announcing her CAS challenge in June of the same year.
It was not until May 2019 that CAS reached its verdict.
The South African has previously stated an intention to run in the 200m at the next Olympics, which would not require her to take testosterone-reducing drugs.
She has a personal best over the distance of 24.26sec and needs to post a time of 22.80 to secure an Olympic berth
.-insidethegames
The star match of the President Federation Cup Round of 16 is the potentially epic confrontation of Enugu Rangers and Bendel Insurance.
The history of the Nigerian National Cup is littered with the epic duels of the two who have three times contested the final matches in 1978, 1981 and recently in 2023.
They clash again four steps before the final match. The two teams were involved in two of the most memorable final matches of Nigeria’s Cup competition in its 80-year history, with honours shared in 1978 and 1981.
The Benin Arsenal tore apart the form books to shock the nation’s football fraternity by spanking Rangers 3-0 in the final in Lagos in 1978, but the Flying Antelopes somewhat repaid the compliment with a 2-0 win at the same venue in 1981.
The setting for this Round of 16 clash is also in Lagos, though a different venue. But fireworks are expected by the waterfront from two teams aspiring for continental football.
Two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, who eliminated Cup holders El-Kanemi Warriors in the Round of 32, will take on Abakaliki FC at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
Nasarawa United and Bayelsa United will square up to each other in the university town of Anyigba, while Warri Wolves and Wikki Tourists battle things out in the Federal Capital, Abuja.
Two great entertainers, Ikorodu City and Beyond Limits will be at each other’s jugular at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, where Solution FC will tango with Kwara United in an earlier game. Plateau United will confront Osun United in Anyigba.
Akwa United and Inter Lagos are at loggerheads in Abuja.
Round of 16 fixtures (Men) on Wednesday
- Enyimba FC (Abia) Vs Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi) – Asaba – 4pm
- Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) – Anyigba 10am
- Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) – Area 3 Abuja – 1 pm
- Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Beyond Limits (Ogun) – Benin City – 4 pm
- Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) Vs Inter Lagos (Lagos) – Area 3 Abuja – 4 pm
- Solution FC (Anambra) Vs Kwara United (Kwara) – Benin City – – 10 am
- Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Osun United (Osun) – Anyigba – 1 pm
- Bendel Insurance (Edo) Vs Rangers Int’l (Enugu) – MJA Lagos – 4 pm
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The Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, which underwent a significant renovation, reopened on Saturday as Wydad and Raja played to a 1-1 draw during the 26th matchday of the Botola Pro D1 “Inwi” football league.
The stadium is one of the designated venues for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
The redevelopment project of the iconic stadium in Morocco’s economic capital is part of the broader program to upgrade sports venues in preparation for upcoming major sporting events, notably the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Launched in March 2024 and completed in March 2025, the works included, according to the National Agency for Public Facilities (ANEP), the replacement of 45,000 seats in this temple of Moroccan football, the upgrading of the press stand, sound system, video surveillance, and access control systems.
The renovations also covered the development of four changing rooms and warm-up areas, the creation of a mixed zone and a new central players’ tunnel, the replacement of the turf with the latest-generation hybrid grass, refurbishment of the athletics track, lighting upgrades, and replacement of the advertising screens.
Additionally, the project involved the construction of a regulation building to manage and fully separate different access flows, the development of a new ramp for team buses, VIP and VVIP parking areas, and the TV compound.
The works also included the renovation of VIP and media lounges, the construction of a new press conference room, the creation of private boxes, the upgrading of restrooms, food and beverage areas, and public infirmaries, as well as an increase in the number of gates and access control points.
Outside the stadium, the renovations focused on the refurbishment of sidewalks and green spaces, upgrading of exterior lighting, renovation of the surrounding fence, and refurbishment of the annex area.
Officially inaugurated in 1955, the Mohammed V Sports Complex has hosted the greatest sporting events and tournaments in the Kingdom. Morocco, a true land of sports and athletes, is increasingly positioning itself as a leader in the sports sector—not only in Africa but also on the global stage.
Indeed, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco is pursuing an ambitious policy of developing its sports infrastructure in preparation for hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
This proactive strategy aims to meet the international standards required by FIFA and CAF, while strengthening Morocco’s position as a continental, regional, and global sports hub.
In this regard, Morocco continues to invest heavily in its sports infrastructure to host large-scale international events such as the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup.
Ongoing projects include the construction of the Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, the reconstruction of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, and the expansion and upgrading of the Grand Stade of Tangier in accordance with FIFA’s specifications.
The rehabilitation of the main stadiums in Fez, Marrakech, and Agadir is also underway, initially to meet CAF standards, followed by a second phase aimed at aligning with FIFA’s requirements. Studies for this second phase are already complete, with work scheduled to begin right after AFCON 2025.
Finally, ongoing efforts also include the reconstruction of the Al Barid Stadium and the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
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The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature 351 medal events —22 more than at Paris 2024— the International Olympic Committee Executive Board confirmed this week in a press conference in Lausanne.
The Executive Board has approved the event programme and athlete quotas for the LA Games, with gender equality in mind. For the first time, all team sports will have at least the same number of women’s teams as men’s teams. The LA28 programme also added 698 quotas for the five sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee (baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash), in addition to the core athlete quota of 10,500.
“We are opening the door for more athletes to compete, win, and live out their Olympic dream at the LA28 Games where athletes have always been, and always will be, the heart of the Games.
“We are proud to champion an athlete-centric vision that celebrates excellence and the unifying spirit of the Olympic Movement,” LA28 Chief Athlete Officer, Janet Evans, said in the organisation’s official press release.
New medal opportunities
In addition to the new sports set to debut at the Los Angeles Games, exciting new podium opportunities will be available for the established sports on the Olympic programme.
Coastal rowing will debut at the Games with the women’s solo, men’s solo and mixed double sculls in Beach Sprints, which will see competitors sprint across the sand, before navigating waves and surf for the top prize.
Also making a splash are swimming’s fast-paced 50m distance swim and water polo. There will be six additional medal opportunities for the fastest swimmers in the world with the women’s and men’s 50-metre competitions in backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The women’s water polo tournament will expand to 12 teams, matching the men’s —making it gender-equal for the first time at the Games.
Sport climbing also gained two medal opportunities by separating a previously combined event and creating three distinct medal events: speed, boulder and lead. The sport will have a total quota of 76 athletes (38 women and 38 men).
“From the very beginning of our Olympic journey, we have always had the target of three sets of medals for our athletes. Each of our disciplines has its own unique strengths, and now everyone will see these at LA28,” IFSC President Marco Scolaris said in the federation’s press release.
While the medal events will stay the same, basketball 3×3 will also expand to include 12 teams per gender, from eight teams at the previous Olympics. This expansion reflects the sport’s growth over recent years and further highlights the sport’s global appeal and development.
“The additional quota allows more National Federations and players from all around the world to dream that they can make it from the streets to the Olympics. Los Angeles is one of the world’s most iconic basketball cities and has a thriving 3×3 basketball culture. We are very excited to be once again at the heart of a vibrant, urban sport festival atmosphere during the Games,”said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, according to FIBA’s press release.
Spotlight on women’s sport
Just weeks after boxing was approved for the Olympic programme after its controversial run at the Paris Games, the sport is set to achieve full parity at the next Olympics with an additional weight class added to the women’s competition: resulting in seven weight classes for both the women’s and men’s tournaments.
Women’s football will be showcased in LA28, with a record 16 teams, while adjusting the men’s tournament to 12 teams to maintain the overall tournament size consistent with previous Olympic Games.
“We’ve seen incredible growth in women’s participation in team sport and in popularity and visibility in women’s team sport, with football being an absolute leader in that regard,” The IOC’s Kit McConnell said. “Women’s football and men’s football have been hugely successful in the Olympic Games in terms of ticketing and broadcast audiences, and media coverage around the world. And what better place to increase the number of women’s teams than the USA itself?”
More mixed-teams
Six new mixed-gender team events will be part of the competition in Los Angeles. Compound archery will be at the Olympic Games in the form of a mixed-team event. It joins the five recurve events currently in the programme.
Athletics will feature a mixed 4x100m, becoming the second mixed-gender event in the sport, joining the 4x400m relay. Golf, table tennis and artistic gymnastics will also add a mixed-team event at LA28.
Overall, the LA28 programme will bring together 10,500 Olympians across the 31 sports on the initial sports program, with up to 700 more athletes competing in the five new sports proposed by LA28 and added to the Olympic sports programme by the IOC.
-Inside The Games
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