by Dana Givens

September 16, 2020

Simone Biles Stands in Solidarity With Olympic Runner Caster Semenya After Controversial Ruling

Last week the Associated Press reported that Olympic runner Caster Semenya had lost her appeal against the Swiss supreme court over high testosterone levels that affected her eligibility to compete in major tournaments. The judges dismissed Semenya’s appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sports‘s ruling last year that upheld the rules pertaining to the differences of sex development for female runners.

The most recent ruling was met with outrage from critics, with Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles defending the track and field star and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Biles took to her Twitter account to express her disappointment in the court’s ruling after the news broke.

The court responded to its decision, explaining that “implicated female athletes are free to refuse treatment to lower testosterone levels. The decision also does not aim to question in any way the female sex of implicated female athletes,” according to the Associated Press 

The 29-year-old South African runner, who plans to fight against the ruling, expressed her frustration over the decision. “I am very disappointed by this ruling, but refuse to let World Athletics drug me or stop me from being who I am,” Semenya told the Associated Press..

“Excluding female athletes or endangering our health solely because of our natural abilities puts World Athletics on the wrong side of history,” she added.

Semenya also took to Twitter to declare her determination to keep going.


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