Take heart‚ Caster‚ the hormone report is rubbish and you'll win your case

16 July 2018 - 06:09
By Katharine Child
Caster Semenya should be emboldened after scientists questioned a report on intersex testosterone levels, says one of the scientists.
Image: Reuters/Charles Platiau Caster Semenya should be emboldened after scientists questioned a report on intersex testosterone levels, says one of the scientists.

The study the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) relied on to decide a new regulation on intersex athletes is flawed and should be scratched.

This is the view of a group of leading sports scientists who have analysed the report used to force athletes such as Caster Semenya to medically reduce her testosterone levels if they wanted to compete.

South African sports scientist Ross Tucker of the University of Cape Town‚ Norwegian sports doping expert Dr Erik Boye and the director of the Sports Governance Centre at the University of Colorado‚ Dr Roger Pielke jnr‚ have called on the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) to retract the report.

BJSM editor Dr Karim Khan told Times Select a statement on the matter would be issued soon and that the journal was always open to suggestions for improvement.