Caster Semenya wins first race as IOC distances itself from controversial saga
President Thomas Bach has absolved the International Olympic Committee of any responsibility in the controversial Casta Semenya decision.
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Intersex and transgender competitors who identify as female but have elevated testosterone levels in the same range as men will not automatically be banned from next year’s Tokyo Olympics if they don’t take hormone medication.
That’s the message from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in the wake of the contentious Caster Semenya case verdict that has split world sport.
Addressing the Australian Olympic Committee’s annual general meeting in Sydney, Bach categorically ruled out establishing a blanket ruling for all sports at the Olympics.
Instead, the German lawyer said it would be left to each individual federation to determine whether or not they wanted to follow the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) by implementing controversial regulations to distinguish between men and women.
“What the IOC have been doing is trying to assist the international federations because it is they who have to take the decision because it is their rules,” Bach said.
“The issue as such is extremely complex. It has scientific impact, it has ethical impact, it impacts on ‘fair play’ in competition so it’s extremely delicate and it’s extremely difficult to do justice to all these (issues).”
Speaking for the first time since the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Semenya’s appeal to have the IAAF regulations overturned, Bach said that while he respected the decision, he felt a lot of compassion for Semenya after the tribunal agreed with her argument that the IAAF’s rules were discriminatory yet still voted against her to preserve the “integrity” of female athletics.
“I have a lot of sympathy for Caster Semenya over this decision,” Bach said.
“In Olympic sport, all people are equal regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, cultural background or political beliefs. Therefore, we stand firmly against discrimination of any kind.”
A defiant Semenya has vowed that she won’t take drugs to lower her testosterone levels, declaring after she won the 800m at Friday night’s Diamond League meeting in Qatar: “Hell, no.”
Whether that means the two-time Olympic champion plans to quit, or run the risk of failing a doping test, the South African hasn’t clarified that as yet.
But the 28-year-old does have the backing of doctors after the World Medical Association (WMA) called on its members not to implement the regulations with patient athletes because of their concerns about the science the IAAF relied on in its case.
“This is why we have this working group, where there are also medical experts,” Bach added.
“They try, as we always try in these situations, to come to what scientists call a consensus. This is what they are working on. I am not a medical expert so I cannot comment on the (WMA) statement. I have to rely on the experts.
“It is not only scientific, it is not only ethical, it is not only sport, it is also highly emotional. I’m afraid for these experts it will be very difficult to find a solution that brings together all these arguments.”
Originally published as Caster Semenya wins first race as IOC distances itself from controversial saga
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