London: As always, Caster Semenya is focused on racing, not regulations. And she has some big goals, too. The South African plans to be around for a while, and maybe dominate the 1,500 metres the way she has the 800m.
After falling over the line to earn bronze in the 1,500m here Monday at the World Championships, the South African was flooded with questions about a long-running dispute over whether females with excessive testosterone should be allowed to compete.
In 2011, the IAAF instituted restrictions on athletes with hyperandrogenism, but a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned that.
The governing body is appealing again, with a decision possible next year. Asked about it during the medallists’ news conference, Semenya said: “I have no time for nonsense. I’m an athlete.
“For me, it’s their own decisions. Like I said before, my focus is more on getting healthy and competing. I really don’t have time for nonsense.”
In the race, Semenya moved from fifth to third over the final 100 metres thanks to her signature finishing kick the one that turned her into an Olympic champion in the 800m. But she was the first to admit that she will have to learn a lot in her new event. It is a challenge she has accepted.
“I learn every day. For me, it’s quite an amazing performance,” Semenya pointed out. “Next time, I’ll do better.”
If there is a next time, though. A recent scientific paper found that women who produce higher-than-normal amounts of testosterone have up to a 4.5 per cent advantage over their competition on the track.
That’s the evidence world track officials are using in their appeal to CAS, which has the power to reinstate the IAAF rules and sideline Semenya, India’s Dutee Chand (the runner who initially appealed the ban) and others with so-called intersex conditions.
However, Semenya is not worried. “I plan short-time goals. I don’t think about what will happen in eight months,” Semenya said. “This is what we do. We focus on being healthy and doing what we do best. Those other things are issues I don’t focus on. It’s none of my business.”
