South African 800m champion Caster Semenya will be able to compete unmedicated after the ruling of a Swiss court, at least for the time being.
The IAAF ruled last month that it would immediately introduce testosterone regulations for athletes with difference in sexual developments. This would essentially force athletes such as a Semenya, who has high levels of the hormone due to hyperandrogenism, to take testosterone blockers in order to compete at distances between 400m and a mile.
However with Semenya's appeal against the ruling ongoing, The Guardian are reporting that the Swiss supreme federal court have ruled that the changes cannot be implemented until at least June 25th. That is the deadline set by the court for the IAAF to explain their ruling.
Semenya's lawyer revealed that they requested this suspension during their appeal submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week, who had this to say about the decision:
The court has ordered the IAAF to suspend immediately the implementation of the regulation with regard to Caster and has given the IAAF until the 25 June to respond to the suspense of effect.
It is absolutely positive news.
With a very real possibility that this case could yet rumble on for a number of months, we could yet see Semenya defend her world title in Doha in September.
