The South African and Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya has finally won her seven-year legal battle at Europe’s top human rights court (ECHR), which ruled that World Athletics had discriminated against her. The court decision found that the World Athletics sports federation had violated her rights by barring her from competing without giving her a fair trial. The 34-year-old South African runner has been banned from competing since 2019 due to her naturally high testosterone levels. Semenya, a two-time Olympic and three-time world champion, calls this a genetic gift, while World Athletics argues that this might give her a male-like advantage, deeming her participation in women’s sports potentially

Caster Semenya, the South African Olympic gold medallist and world champion, has achieved a significant victory in her long-standing legal battle against World Athletics. After seven years of intense legal struggle, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in Semenya’s favor, declaring that her rights had been violated and that she had been unfairly discriminated against.

The 34-year-old middle-distance runner has been at the center of a controversial debate in the world of sports over what defines fair competition in women’s athletics. Semenya, a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion in the 800 meters, has naturally high testosterone levels due to a condition known as Differences of Sexual Development (DSD). In 2019, World Athletics implemented regulations requiring female athletes with DSD to medically reduce their testosterone levels in order to compete in women’s events between 400 meters and one mile. Semenya refused to undergo hormone therapy, calling her higher testosterone levels a natural and genetic gift rather than an unfair advantage.

As a result of her refusal to comply, she was banned from competing in her signature events, effectively ending her participation in elite-level athletics for years. The case sparked global debate around gender identity, the definition of fairness in sport, and the ethics of regulating naturally occurring biological traits.

Semenya took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and then to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, both of which upheld World Athletics’ position. However, the ECHR ruling has shifted the narrative. The court found that Semenya had not been given a fair opportunity to present her case and that her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights had been violated. The judgment criticized the lack of due process and questioned the proportionality and scientific basis of the regulations.

The ruling does not immediately overturn World Athletics’ policies, but it does place significant pressure on the organization to revisit and possibly revise its rules. It also marks a moral and symbolic victory for Semenya and athletes like her. Human rights advocates and many in the global sports community have welcomed the ruling as a step toward more inclusive and just treatment of athletes with differences in sex development.

Semenya responded to the decision with a mixture of relief and vindication, emphasizing that her fight was never just for herself, but for the rights of all women to compete without being forced to alter their natural bodies. Her perseverance and resilience throughout this ordeal have solidified her status not only as an exceptional athlete but also as a powerful advocate for human rights and bodily autonomy.

This landmark decision may set a precedent for future cases involving athlete eligibility and gender regulations in sport. For now, it represents a turning point in the career and legacy of one of South Africa’s most celebrated sports figures—Caster Semenya.