Semenya given another reason to keep her battle going

Having already missed the Tokyo Olympics, Caster Semenya has admitted that she might no longer be fighting for her own career.

At the age of 30, the reality is that the three-time world champion will probably be past her prime if she is eventually given the green light to return to the track in the 800m event.

Semenya, however, understands that her case will go a long way in setting a precedent, and she hopes the stand she is making against rules which restrict athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) will help pave the way for future generations.

While the battle she has waged in court has revolved largely around an alleged infringement on her human rights, it seems a lack of scientific evidence might also prove to be on her side.

The controversial World Athletics rule which she is trying to have overturned prevents DSD athletes from competing in some track and field events without having surgery or taking hormone suppressants.

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It was revealed this week, however, that a correction had been made by the the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which published the original evidence used by World Athletics to defend its decision to ban DSD athletes.

Two scientists who were involved in the study admitted there was “no confirmatory evidence for causality” in the observed relationships between high levels of testosterone in female athletes and a “significant competitive advantage” in certain events.

“We acknowledge that our 2017 study was exploratory,” the scientists said.

“With this in mind, we recognise that statements in the paper could have been misleading by implying a causal inference.”

With holes already existing in the claim that DSD athletes held an unfair advantage, as they were not banned in most track and field disciplines, this latest revelation could blow World Athletics’ argument out of the water.

As things stand, Semenya remains suspended from distances ranging between 400m and 1 500m, and even if this latest information helps her win her case, it remains unclear whether it will be resolved in time for her to make a comeback at the highest level of the sport.

Either way, however, her court battle which looked to be teetering on the edge of collapse has been given new life and her persistence could prove groundbreaking for athletes with similar conditions.

And it could lay the foundation to prevent restricting the careers of future global stars.