BBC Online :
Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya’s appeal against a regulation restricting testosterone levels in female runners began on Monday – as the head of world athletics again defended the rule.
South African Semenya, 28, is seeking to overturn the regulation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
But International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lord Coe said it would “protect the sanctity of fair and open competition”.
The case will be heard until Friday, with a verdict expected by 29 March.
Before the hearing, Semenya’s lawyers and Athletics South Africa (ASA) accused the IAAF of breaching confidentiality regulations by releasing a list of five expert witnesses who will testify on its behalf.
“Semenya believes the IAAF press release is a clear breach of the confidentiality provisions that was orchestrated in an effort to influence public opinion in circumstances where the IAAF knew that Semenya would not be prepared to respond because she was complying with her confidentiality obligations,” her lawyers said.
“As a matter of fairness, Semenya raised this issue with the Cas and has been granted permission to publicly release information responding to the IAAF press release’ including disclosing the experts who are testifying in support of Semenya’s case.”
Athletics’ governing body responded by saying it was within its rights to make the witness list public.
“Cas left the decision for all parties to release their witness list to the parties involved,” the IAAF said. “This was agreed.”
Under the IAAF rule, female athletes with naturally high testosterone levels would have to race against men or change events unless they took medication to reduce it.
Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya’s appeal against a regulation restricting testosterone levels in female runners began on Monday – as the head of world athletics again defended the rule.
South African Semenya, 28, is seeking to overturn the regulation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
But International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lord Coe said it would “protect the sanctity of fair and open competition”.
The case will be heard until Friday, with a verdict expected by 29 March.
Before the hearing, Semenya’s lawyers and Athletics South Africa (ASA) accused the IAAF of breaching confidentiality regulations by releasing a list of five expert witnesses who will testify on its behalf.
“Semenya believes the IAAF press release is a clear breach of the confidentiality provisions that was orchestrated in an effort to influence public opinion in circumstances where the IAAF knew that Semenya would not be prepared to respond because she was complying with her confidentiality obligations,” her lawyers said.
“As a matter of fairness, Semenya raised this issue with the Cas and has been granted permission to publicly release information responding to the IAAF press release’ including disclosing the experts who are testifying in support of Semenya’s case.”
Athletics’ governing body responded by saying it was within its rights to make the witness list public.
“Cas left the decision for all parties to release their witness list to the parties involved,” the IAAF said. “This was agreed.”
Under the IAAF rule, female athletes with naturally high testosterone levels would have to race against men or change events unless they took medication to reduce it.
