Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Athletics South Africa (ASA) has responded to the IAAF's new ruling that female athletes with higher than permitted levels of testosterone will have to take medication to lower those levels from November 1.
The ruling, which applies to track distances between 400m and one mile, directly impacts South African track queen Caster Semenya, who will now have to keep her testosterone levels controlled by medication due to her hyperandrogenism.
An ASA statement did not take an immediate position on the new ruling, saying that the organisation would consult experts in the field as well as government before contacting the IAAF.
The statement added that ASA supported "all our athletes who may be affected by this new ruling."
Full ASA statement:
"Athletics South Africa has taken note of the new classification for females. We want to acknowledge that this process started long ago, up to a point that CAS was involved and ruled and gave guidance on what should be followed by the IAAF.
ASA further acknowledges that the IAAF Council has the authority to develop rules and regulations as the highest decision-making body between congresses past and future.
As a federation, we will study the new regulations and compare them with the CAS recommendations to see if they are compatible and in line.
We will further seek support from the Minister of Sport and Recreation, SASCOC, other expert institutions and relevant organisations or individuals, so that we have a full grasp of this matter and how it should be properly handled.
Once done, we will then inter-act with the IAAF. We want to state very clearly that we support all our athletes who may be affected by this new ruling.
Athletics South Africa refers all future requests for comment on this matter to the IAAF, who issued the statement on the new regulation."
