Gold Medalist Faces Her Toughest Obstacle Yet

New rule limits female athletes’ testosterone levels

Lacey Yahnke

The Santa Clara

May 9, 2019

(AP)Caster Semenya, the double Olympic gold medalist and threetime World Champion from South Africa in the women’s 800-meter, has battled adversity in track and field ever since she entered the sport 10 years ago. Now she faces an unexpected obstacle: she may never get to compete in her event again.

Semenya has become a role model in the sport for being a courageous, fast, gay black woman who takes a stand for human rights. Last week, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)—the highest court for international sports— ruled that female athletes with naturally higher levels of testosterone may…