Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Caster Semenya is again challenging a ruling requiring her to artificially lower her testosterone to enter competition.
The 28-year-old South African is taking her case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, she said in a statement, after an appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier this month.
Semenya, the dominant force in women’s middle-distance running since the London 2012 Olympics, is hyperandrogenous, meaning she has elevated levels of testosterone.
The rule was announced by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in April 2018 targeting women’s events between 400 meters and one mile, and immediately derided by the 800 meter champion.
Opinion: Caster Semenya’s fate isn’t about running. It’s about human rights
The IAAF believes athletes categorized as having a Difference of Sexual Development have a competitive advantage – findings that were disputed by Semenya and her legal team.
“I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete,” Semenya said in the statement. “The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am.”
The runner’s lawyer, Dorothee Schramm, stressed the ruling violated the human rights of affected competitors. “In the race for justice, human rights must win over sporting interests,” she said.
The IAAF confirmed to CNN that it won’t be commenting on the appeal until official notification has been received from the court.
