South African athlete Caster Semenya has won an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to overturn discriminatory testosterone restrictions imposed on female athletes.
The sportswoman appealed to the ECHR in 2021 after the Swiss Supreme Court validated a decision made three years ago by the highest sporting body, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which approved the rules imposed by the World Athletics Organization.
According to these rules, female athletes with high testosterone levels must lower their hormone levels medically or they would not be eligible for female track events.
However, in Tuesday's judgement, the ECHR ruled that Semenya had been the victim of discrimination.
"In the case of Semenya v. Switzerland the Court held that there had been a violation of the prohibition of discrimination taken together with the right to respect for private life as well as a violation of the right to an effective remedy," the statement read.
World Athletics has already announced its disagreement with the decision and will seek to refer the case to the Grand Chamber of the ECHR for a "final and irrevocable decision."
Semenya's position is that her testosterone levels should be considered a "genetic gift that "should be celebrated, not regulated."
The South African athlete specializes in the 800m and 1500m. She is a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion in the 800m.