Caster Semenya said Sunday she will not take part in this year’s World Championships if she loses her legal battle with the IAAF over new rules governing testosterone levels in female athletes.
The two-time Olympic champion extended her four-year unbeaten streak in the 800m on Sunday after cruising to victory at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting at Stanford University in northern California.
Semenya, who won in 1min 55.70sec, had not raced in the 800m since May 3, shortly after she lost a court challenge against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) new rules which will force her to regulate her testosterone levels.
That ruling was subsequently put on hold by a Swiss Federal Tribunal pending a full hearing, leaving Semenya free to compete until a final decision in her case.
Semenya had previously indicated that if she loses her legal case, she would continue to compete over longer distances, which are not affected by the IAAF’s new testosterone rules.
However speaking to reporters on Sunday, she said there was no chance of her racing at the World Championships in Qatar if she is not allowed to run in the 800m.
“If I’m not running 800m, I’m not running world championships,” Semenya told reporters.
