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Caster Semenya’s decade-long struggle with the IAAF has transformed her into a modern-day human rights activist, writes Daniel Mothowagae.
"A luta continua, a vitória é certa."
This political war cry, which means “the struggle continues, victory is certain”, ties in well with Caster Semenya’s protracted battle for freedom to be the athlete she is meant to be.
Since the star middle-distance runner broke on to the world stage in 2009, her journey has been nothing but a struggle to convince the world athletics governing body, the IAAF, that she has the right to compete against other women.
There has been a long series of efforts by the IAAF to implement rules governing the eligibility of female athletes, particularly those who are deemed to be producing elevated levels of natural testosterone.
As things stand Semenya – who turns 29 on January 7 – will enter the New Year with her appeal still pending before the Swiss Court of Appeal in Switzerland.
This is the length Semenya has gone to in fighting for her freedom on the track, contesting the controversial regulations that have subsequently precluded her from competition.
The IAAF compels “classified athletes” to take hormone suppressants to lower their testosterone levels to less than five nanomoles per litre of blood.
The runner from Moletjie in Limpopo has been defiant and her resistance has changed how the sport interprets science and human biology.
Semenya’s standing in society has changed from being just a track and field athlete to being a modern-day freedom fighter.
She has become the equivalent of what the likes of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela stood for in their fight for the social and political emancipation of women.
Like a true activist, last year Semenya celebrated her Commonwealth Games 800m and 1 500m double gold with a raised fist salute.
Even in her last appearance on track in June this year, she acknowledged the crowd with her right fist in the air before the start of the 800m final during the Diamond League’s Prefontaine Classic in California, US.
The race, which Semenya won, was her last competition of the season after the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland reversed a prior ruling that had temporarily suspended the IAAF’s regulations pending the outcome of the athlete’s appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) award.
In May – on Worker’s Day – CAS ruled against Semenya‚ arguing that the IAAF rules were “discriminatory but necessary”.
Subsequently, Semenya was ruled out of defending her 800m title at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in August and September.
Amid continued scrutiny from the IAAF and constant ridicule from some quarters in Europe, Semenya has showed her pedigree as a champion athlete.
She has won three 800m world titles and two Olympic gold medals since 2009, while she shattered all the domestic records across the 400m, 800m and the 1 500m over the last 10 years.
In fact, the protracted legal battles with the IAAF have held her back as Semenya’s personal best time of 1 minute 54.25 seconds, which she set in Paris, France, in June last year, has edged her ever so close to Jarmila Kratochvilova’s world record of 1:53.28 that has stood since 1983.
With the year of the Olympics ahead, Semenya and her legal team are anticipating judgment from the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland early next year, according her long-time lawyer Greg Knott. Her legal team has constantly contested that the IAAF rules are ethically dubious and are a violation of Semenya’s human rights. They have accused it of targeting her.
Even after the Swiss court’s ruling that prevents Semenya from defending her world title, Dorothee Schramm, the lawyer leading the appeal, warned: “We will continue to pursue Caster’s appeal and fight for her fundamental human rights. A race is always decided at the finish line.”
Only time will tell if victory is certain or if the struggle continues for the runner who has dominated the 800m for the last decade.
August 2009
- Aged 18, Semenya wins world 800m gold at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany, in a new SA record time of 1:55.45. It later emerges that the athlete has been the subject of a gender-verification process and she is declared ineligible to compete for 11 months
July 2010
- The IAAF announces Semenya is cleared to compete again
April 2011
- The IAAF announces it is adopting new rules governing the eligibility of females with naturally elevated testosterone levels
October 2014
- Indian sprinter Dutee Chand appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over her indefinite ban by the IAAF for elevated testosterone levels
July 2015
- Chand is cleared to compete after CAS suspends the IAAF’s rules for two years
August 2016
- Semenya wins 800m gold at the Rio Olympics. Shortly afterwards, IAAF president Sebastian Coe says the world athletics governing body will challenge CAS’ ruling
April 2018
- The IAAF announces new rules to force female athletes to reduce their testosterone levels by November 1 if they want to compete in events ranging from 400m to a mile (1.6km)
June 2018 - Semenya files an appeal asking the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland to set aside CAS’ decision
May 2019
- Semenya loses her legal case against the IAAF, a move that prevented her from participating at the World Championships held in Qatar
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