Semenya returns to running after IAAF rule change
Caster Semenya will bid to move the spotlight from new International Association of Athletics Federation rules, for female athletes who have high testosterone levels, back to the track as the Diamond League gets under way in Doha today.
The South African, the double Olympic 800 metres champion, will race in the 1,500m in the opening of the IAAF's elite 14-meet competition. It will be her first outing since the rule changes were announced.
Semenya has long come under scrutiny because of her powerful physique and deep voice related to hyperandrogenism.
The new IAAF rules, which come into effect on Nov 1, will allow such athletes to compete only if they take medication to reduce naturally occurring levels of testosterone.
The rules, which the IAAF puts under the heading "Difference of Sexual Development" (DSD), cover races from 400m to the mile.
Semenya's trademark last-lap burst to the front of the pack will be fully tested at the Qatar Sports Club by a field that includes five Kenyans and four Ethiopians sure to seek to hamper the South African with team tactics. - AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
