Caster Semenya Barred From Women’s Events At Doha World Cup
3 August 2019
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In perhaps the most disappointing news of the week, even more disappointing than Zodwa and Ntobeko’s breakup.

It has been officially reported that Caster Semenya will not be allowed to compete in women’s events at the upcoming Athletics World Championships in Doha.

This invariably means that she will not be able to defend her world title at the same event (due to the IAAF’s pending rule) which will see her banned from competing in women’s events unless she takes drugs to suppress the levels of testosterone in her body.

The law was actually passed earlier this year, but after Caster took the IAAF to the Court of Arbitration for Court, the international sporting body lifted her ban until the rules could be clarified. While that course has not reached its conclusion, this week’s biggest update came when the suspension on Caster’s ban was lifted and the Olympic-Gold-winning athlete was once again barred from competing.

Caster’s PR team released a statement which read:

“Yesterday a single judge of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court reversed prior rulings that had temporarily suspended the IAAF regulations pending the outcome of Caster’s appeal against the CAS award‚”

Caster expressed her disappointment at the ruling but revealed that she will still be fighting to see justice served when she said:

“I am very disappointed to be kept from defending my hard-earned title‚ but this will not deter me from continuing my fight for the human rights of all the female athletes concerned‚”

While the IAAF maintains that they are trying to make athletics a fairer sport, the truth appears to lie closer to them wanting women to look, act and perform within certain boundaries. The sporting body has a history of making life difficult for women who did not fit the “norm” for “what a woman should look like” and Caster appears to be the latest victim.

One can only hope that like some of her predecessors, Caster will stand up and overcome their discrimination.

-Zalebs