Caster Semenya: The IOC's Ruling is a Disgrace
The two-time Olympic champion speaks out against the International Olympic Committee’s decision to require gene testing.
If you know yourself and your purpose, you live up to it. No matter what walls someone may build between you and your dreams, you prevail. This kind of self-love and determination has guided me my entire life.
I woke up today needing that belief more than ever. Last week’s decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to subject athletes to mandatory gene testing, even if doing so will bar women like me from participating in women’s sports, didn’t surprise me. For years now , I have been fighting for sports policies to be shaped by inclusivity and justice.
I know that God made no mistakes in making me, and that I should be free to run exactly as I am. Since 2019 , I have been prevented from running the distance I won gold in because I refuse to put myself through procedures that are both harmful and discriminatory. When I was asked to consult on the IOC policy, I made it clear that I didn’t want to be a token voice.
Why be present if I cannot use my experience and expertise to shape policy? Why legitimize a system that is willing to toss aside minorities? The IOC ruling suggests that athletes with the SRY gene will need to undergo further tests to find out if they have Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other "rare" differences in sex development (DSDs).
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