Just when you think it’s finally been put to bed, the issue of Caster Semenya and her athletic prowess is once again called into question.

Following a new study into athletes with raised testosterone levels, commissioned by The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the future eligibility of Semenya now hangs in the balance.

According to the Guardian, the study provides “the most conclusive evidence yet that female athletes with very high levels of naturally occurring testosterone receive significant performance-enhancing benefits”, which is very bad news for our 800 metre star:

[She] may be banned from competing at future Games unless she undergoes hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or even surgery…

The new study will not stop Semenya and other hyperandrogenic athletes, such as the Indian sprinter Dutee Chand, from competing at the world championships in London in August but it could have a significant impact on the Cas [Court of Arbitration for Sport] hearing later this month…

It comes only weeks before the IAAF is set to challenge a ruling by the court of arbitration for sport which, since 2015, has prevented it from restricting permitted levels of testosterone among female competitors.

During the extensive study, researchers measured blood testosterone levels in more than 1 000 female athletes competing in various track and field events at the 2011 and 2013 World Champs:

Those with the highest levels of testosterone demonstrated significant advantages over those with the lowest levels – notably in the 400m (2.7% faster), the 400m hurdles (2.8% faster), the 800m (1.8% faster), the hammer throw (4.5% longer) and in the pole vault (2.9% higher)…

Testosterone has several potential performance-enhancing effects on the body, including boosting the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, building lean muscle mass and increasing mental drive and aggressiveness. The new study also found that female competitors with high levels of androgens benefit from improved visuospatial abilities.

According to Guardian sources, the IAAF has now commissioned a second study that will look specifically “at the effect naturally occurring testosterone has on 100m and 200m sprinters like Chand, as well as middle distance runners”.

Semenya will definitely be watching that impending IAAF / CAS showdown later this month very closely, and it could well decide her athletic future.

[source:guardian]