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SPORTS Diaranson 9 september 2020

Semenya loses at Swiss supreme court over testosterone rules

(AP) — Two-time Olym- In a May 2019 verdict, the has testosterone levels that
pic champion Caster Seme- sport court's three judges had are higher than the typical fe-
nya lost her long legal battle said in a 2-to-1 ruling the male range. The Swiss court
Tuesday against track and discrimination against Seme- statement Tuesday referred
field's rules that limit female nya was "necessary, reason- to female runners with "the
runners' naturally high tes- able and proportionate" to genetic variant '46 XY DSD'."
tosterone levels. maintain fairness in women's World Athletics argued that
Switzerland's supreme court track. Testosterone is a hor- gave her and other female
said its judges dismissed mone that strengthens mus- athletes like her with DSD
Semenya's appeal against cle tone and bone mass, and conditions and high natural
a Court of Arbitration for is a doping product if injected testosterone an unfair advan-
Sport ruling last year that or ingested. tage.
upheld the rules drafted by The panel of five federal The rules Semenya appealed
track's governing body affect- judges said Tuesday it was against require her to lower
ing female runners with dif- limited to examining "wheth- her testosterone to a level
ferences of sex development er the CAS decision violates specified by the internation-
(DSD). fundamental and widely rec- al track body for at least six
The 71-page ruling means ognized principles of public months before competing.
Semenya cannot defend her order. That is not the case." Athletes have three options
Olympic 800-meter title at Semenya's "guarantee of hu- to do that: Taking birth con-
the Tokyo Games next year man dignity" was also not trol pills, having testoster-
— or compete at any top compromised by the CAS one-blocking injections, or
meets in distances from 400 ruling, the judges decided. undergoing surgery.
meters to the mile — unless "Implicated female athletes Semenya took birth control
she agrees to lower her tes- are free to refuse treatment pills for around five years
tosterone level through med- to lower testosterone levels. until the world track body,
ication or surgery. The decision also does not then known as the IAAF,
The 29-year-old South Afri- aim to question in any way had to suspend its previous meters at international events said her international team
can repeatedly said she will the female sex of implicated hyperandrogenism rules af- — winning a top-tier race at of lawyers was "considering
not do that reiterated her female athletes," the federal ter a CAS appeal brought by Palo Alto, California — with- the judgment and the options
stance in a statement through court said. sprinter Dutee Chand of In- out taking testosterone-sup- to challenge the findings
her lawyers Tuesday. Reacting to the verdict, Se- dia. pressing drugs. in European and domestics
"I am very disappointed by menya said: "I will continue Testifying at her five-day It's unclear what Semenya courts."
this ruling, but refuse to let to fight for the human rights hearing at CAS in Febru- will choose to do next. She Any appeal to the European
World Athletics drug me or of female athletes, both on ary 2019, Semenya said tak- could compete in the 100 or Court of Human Rights
stop me from being who I the track and off the track, ing the medication had un- 200 meters or at distances would likely not receive a
am," she said. "Excluding fe- until we can all run free the wanted side effects including longer than the mile but she judgment until after the To-
male athletes or endanger- way we were born. I know making her injury prone. has never had the success in kyo Olympics open next July.
ing our health solely because what is right and will do all Tuesday's federal judgment those events that she has had Tuesday's judgment also came
of our natural abilities puts I can to protect basic human came more than a year after over two laps. at a financial cost to Semenya
World Athletics on the wrong rights, for young girls every- the 2012 and 2016 Olympic However, she had already and South Africa's track fed-
side of history." where." champion lost a previous rul- switched her training this eration, which joined her ap-
The Swiss Federal Tribunal Although exact details of Se- ing from the same court. year to 200 meters, hinting peal. Each was ordered to pay
said Semenya's appeal "essen- menya's condition have never That July 2019 verdict over- that she was prepared to lose 7,000 Swiss francs ($7,600)
tially alleges a violation of the been released since she won turned a temporary ruling in court. to the court and 8,000 Swiss
prohibition of discrimina- the first of her three world ti- which had allowed Semenya Greg Nott, Semenya's long- francs ($8,700) toward World
tion." tles in 2009 as a teenager, she briefly to compete in the 800 time lawyer in South Africa, Athletics' legal costs.

Giannis out: Bucks say the MVP's ankle not ready for Game 5

(AP) — Reigning NBA MVP ing the best-of-seven series before the team made the fi- playoff contest without An- them and Giannis ... some-
Giannis Antetokounmpo 3-1. nal decision. tetokounmpo was April 28, times you have to protect
was ruled out of Game 5 of Antetokounmpo clearly tried "It's just always good to see it 2013 — when they were him."
Milwaukee's Eastern Confer- to get himself ready for Game with your eyes," Budenhol- swept out of the first round Antetokounmpo is widely
ence semifinal series against 5. He was on the court about zer said. by the Heat. expected to win the MVP
the Miami Heat because of a two hours before game time, Antetokounmpo sprained Antetokounmpo got plenty award for a second consecu-
sprained right ankle. getting some shots up, then the ankle in the first quarter of treatment between games, tive season after averaging
The Bucks listed Antetok- did more strength and flexi- of Game 3, then played his but Bucks coach Mike 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds
ounmpo as inactive, doing bility work with a member of usual minutes the rest of the Budenholzer indicated Mon- and 5.6 assists. In the open-
so about 45 minutes before the Bucks' staff. Bucks coach way. He turned the same an- day — while acknowledg- ing round of the playoffs
Tuesday's matchup started. Mike Budenholzer watched kle the same way — inward ing that there was still hope against Orlando, he averaged
They entered the game trail- the on-court session closely, — early in the second quar- that the MVP would play 30.6 points, 16 rebounds and
ter of Game 4 and could not in Game 5 — that the team six assists on 59% shooting
return. would weigh the short-term from the floor and 39% from
The Bucks lost Game 3 with benefit of him playing Tues- 3-point range.
Antetokounmpo, then found day against the long-term But in the first three games
a way to win Game 4 in over- risk. of the series against the Heat,
time even after playing the "We have such a great sports his offensive numbers cooled
final 40 of the game's 53 min- and performance staff and off considerably. He averaged
utes without their leading just a high, high level of trust 22.7 points, 13.3 rebounds
scorer and rebounder. that they understand the big and seven assists — shoot-
Antetokounmpo had started picture," Budenholzer said. ing only 45% from the field
all 43 of Milwaukee's post- "They've been a part of all and 15% from beyond the
season games since he joined the decisions in the past and 3-point arc. He had 19 points
the franchise as the 15th pick obviously going forward, and in 11 minutes in Game 4,
in the 2013 NBA draft. The the trust level with them, helping Milwaukee stay in
last time the Bucks played a the communication between the game early.