OLYMPIC CHAMPION SEMENYA DROPS LANDMARK LEGAL BATTLE OVER SEX ELIGIBILITY RULES. (PHOTO).

 Olympic champion Semenya drops landmark legal battle over sex eligibility rules

Caster Semenya, the Olympic champion runner from South Africa, is ending her seven-year legal battle against sex eligibility rules in track and field, her legal team announced Thursday. The decision comes after a July ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that had appeared to revive the contentious case. Semenya’s lawyers confirmed they will not appeal the ruling back to the Swiss supreme court, which had been a potential next step.

Semenya, a two-time Olympic gold medallist in the 800 meters, has been barred from competing in her signature event at major international meets since 2019 after refusing to take medication to lower her naturally high testosterone levels. Her legal challenge, which has included filings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and the European Court of Human Rights, argued that the rules violated her rights. While the European court found she had not received a fair hearing in Switzerland, Semenya has now chosen not to pursue further appeals. At 34, her competitive career has effectively ended, and she has turned to coaching.

Semenya has long been a focal point in debates over athletes with differences in sex development (DSD), conditions in which individuals have sex characteristics that do not fit typical male or female classifications. She has high natural testosterone levels but identifies as female and was raised as a girl. Track authorities argue that DSD athletes with elevated testosterone have an unfair advantage in women’s competitions, citing effects on muscle and cardiovascular performance. Regulations have tightened over the years, with the most recent rule requiring a one-time genetic test for the presence of a Y chromosome, effectively barring athletes who do not meet the criteria.

Semenya’s case has influenced broader sports policies, with other disciplines such as swimming and boxing adopting stricter sex eligibility rules. While her challenge concludes, experts say the European Court of Human Rights ruling could provide grounds for future challenges by other athletes under the updated regulations.