Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Tuesday 4 June 2019
NCAA recommends

women's wrestling

as 'emerging sport"

By LUKE MEREDITH ey. Equestrian, rugby and
AP Sports Writer triathlon are all currently
The NCAA committee on competing as emerging
women's athletics recom- sports.
mended Monday that all A coalition of wrestling or-
three divisions add wom- ganizations and the U.S.
en's wrestling as an emerg- Olympic Committee sub-
ing sport, a key step toward mitted an application for
making it a championship- emerging sport status in
level sport. 2017. The committee said
If the recommendation is it applauded the contin-
approved, women's wres- ued growth of women's
tling as well as acrobatics wrestling, noting the sport
and tumbling would be is relatively inexpensive to
added as emerging sports sponsor and that doing so In this May 3, 2019, file photo, South Africa's Caster Semenya crosses the line to win gold in the
Aug. 1, 2020. would add coaching op- women's 800-meter final during the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.
A sport must have at least portunities for women. Associated Press
20 varsity teams and/or "This is a great day for wres-
executive director of USA IAAF ordered by court to suspend
competitive club teams to tling," said Rich Bender,
be considered for the pro-
gram, and at least 40 var- Wrestling. "We are encour-
sity teams for NCAA cham- aged by today's decision, Semenya testosterone rules
pionship consideration. and fully expect it to help
The Wrestle Like a Girl orga- accelerate the growth of By GERALD IMRAY free." time world champion in the
nization and USA Wrestling women's wrestling." AP Sports Writer The supreme court appeal 800. She also has a world
said there are 23 NCAA Increasing opportunities Caster Semenya won an is the second time the two- championships bronze
schools with women's wres- for women to wrestle has interim ruling in her battle time Olympic 800-meter medal in the 1,500 meters,
tling teams, including Texas been a major focus for the against the IAAF when the champion has challenged which the IAAF also made
A&M and Colorado State. sport in recent years after Swiss supreme court or- the IAAF rules. Semenya a restricted race. Semenya
There are 13 other schools it was briefly dropped from dered athletics' governing lost her case against the has battled track authori-
planning to add the sport the Olympic program in body to suspend its testos- IAAF at the Court of Arbitra- ties for the right to run in
either next year or in 2020- 2013. A lack of gender eq- terone regulations on Mon- tion for Sport on May 1 and what she describes as her
21. The National Collegiate uity played a role in the de- day, raising the prospect of the rules came into effect natural form for a decade,
Acrobatics and Tumbling cision by the International her competing at the world on May 8. ever since she was subject-
Association said 29 NCAA Olympic Committee. Six of championships without They meant that Seme- ed to gender verification
colleges and universities the 18 weights contested having to take hormone nya wasn't allowed to run tests by the IAAF at the age
sponsor the sport. at the last two Olympics, in suppressing medication. in any top-level 800-meter of 18 when she won her first
The emerging sports pro- London and Rio de Janei- The decision temporarily race unless she medically world title in 2009.
gram, which offers spon- ro, were for women, and lifts the contentious rules, reduced her elevated tes- The dispute is viewed as
sorship options and helps a women's gold medal at least until the IAAF re- tosterone levels before one of the most controver-
schools meet financial aid match will cap the compe- sponds with arguments to Monday's decision. sial and complex to face
and other requirements, tition in each of the last six the supreme court, known Dorothee Schramm, the sport. The IAAF rules ap-
began in 1994. It has days of the tournament at as the Swiss Federal Tribu- Swiss-based lawyer lead- ply to female athletes with
helped several sports have the 2020 Tokyo Games. nal, to restore them. The ing Semenya's appeal, said medical conditions known
reached championship Japan has won 11 of the 18 IAAF has until June 25 to do the supreme court "has as "differences of sex de-
status, including beach Olympic gold medals given that. granted welcome tempo- velopment" (DSD) and spe-
volleyball and ice hock- out in women's wrestling.q Should the IAAF fail to over- rary protection to Caster cifically those born with the
turn the ruling, the regula- Semenya." typical male XY chromo-
tions will remain suspended "This is an important case some pattern. The athletes
until Semenya's full appeal that will have fundamental also have testosterone lev-
is heard by a panel of Swiss implications for the human els higher than the typical
federal judges. That could rights of female athletes," female range, which the
take up to a year or more, Schramm said. IAAF argues gives them an
meaning the 28-year-old The ruling has implications unfair athletic advantage
South African might be for other athletes, too. Fran- over other women be-
cleared to run unrestricted cine Niyonsaba of Burundi cause the hormone helps
in her favored event in re- and Margaret Wambui of build muscle and increases
maining Diamond League Kenya, both Olympic med- oxygen levels in the blood.
meetings and the worlds in alists in the 800, have said Prescribing medical treat-
Doha, Qatar, in September they are also affected by ments solely for sports eli-
and October. the rules. gibility reasons has been
"I am thankful to the Swiss The regulations apply only labelled as unethical by an
judges for this decision," to some races, from 400 array of experts, including
Semenya said. "I hope that meters to one mile. Seme- the World Medical Associa-
following my appeal I will nya is the reigning Olympic tion, which represents doc-
once again be able to run champion and a three- tors across the world.q