Semenya will fight for her rights, other female athletes- Lawyer

Lawyer for South African athlete Caster Semenya said Wednesday the Olympic 800 metres champion will fight for ‘’ her own rights and that of other female athletes’.

Dorothee Schramm’s comments comes as Semenya was denied a chance to defend her world title in Doha in September.

“I would like to mention four key human rights that are at stake here. The first is the prohibition against discrimination. The CAS panel unanimously found that the IAAF regulations are discriminatory. One reason is because they apply only to female athletes whereas there are no testosterone limits, nor any other limits on natural physical characteristics on male athletes. The second is the right to physical integrity – that means nobody can touch your body against your will. That is violated because of the intrusive physical examinations and the requirement to change your natual hormone levels. Then there is the right to economic freedom which means that Caster will be prevented from making the living she has always made by competing in her specialty events. And last but not least, the respect for human dignity’‘, Schraam said.

The 28-year old is battling a ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) over rules that will require her to take drugs to counter her naturally high testosterone levels.

On Tuesday, a Swiss Federal Supreme Court judge overturned a June ruling that temporarily threw out the IAAF regulations upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sports, pending her appeal.

AP