Caster Semenya Olympic Controversy

Caster Semenya, a female two-time Olympic 800 meter champion from South Africa has been told so she can longer compete. This is because she has naturally elevated levels of testosterone in her body. In a landmark case in international court for sports it was ruled that any female track athletes who competes in events from the 400 meter to the 1 mile with naturally elevated levels of testosterone must decrease the hormone in their body in order to compete. It would not only be expensive to seek treatment to adjust your natural hormone levels, but also extremely difficult to keep them in a very specific range, and would cause side effects. Women with slight variation in their genetics that causes this hormone imbalance are being challenged as legitimate female athletes. Caster Semenya has been under a lot of scrutiny since competing at the 2009 track and field championship, where she won and was automatically accused of not being a woman and was subjected to sex tests. She was accused of not being “female” enough because of her naturally elevated levels of testosterone. Although she may have naturally higher levels of testosterone, Semenya has still worked extremely hard to become the amazing athlete this is, and her successes should not be attributed to that one factor.  All women have testosterone levels between 0.12-1.79 nanomoles per liter, elite female athletes usually have slightly higher levels of testosterone. This is not only an issue about gender barriers, but brings up privacy and human rights. This ruling seems like a way to further control and regulate women who are gifted and strong. As Semanya states “I know that the I.A.A.F.’s (International Association of Athletics Federations) regulations have always targeted me specifically. For a decade the I.A.A.F. has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the C.A.S. (Court of Arbitration for Sport ) will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”