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Semenya is awaiting a Court of Arbitration for
Sport verdict on her appeal against an IAAF regulation that says
female athletes classed as having differences in sexual
development (DSDs) gain an unfair advantage due to their higher
testosterone levels, though only in races between 400 and
1,000m.
Under the new rules, athletes classed as having DSDs must reduce
their blood testosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a
continuous period of six months before they can compete. They
must then maintain it below that level continuously.
The Court had been due to announce its decision on Tuesday but
has postponed it until late April.
Coe told Australia's Daily Telegraph at the weekend: "The reason
we have gender classification is because if you didn't then no
woman would ever win another title or another medal or break
another record in our sport."
In response Semenya, in a statement through her lawyers, said:
"The scars Ms Semenya has developed over the past decade run
deep.
"Reading the comments of Mr. Coe this weekend opened those old
wounds and the reference by the Daily Telegraph (Australia) to
'the muscle-packed Semenya' is just the latest illustration of
how the issues have been distorted by innuendo."
The statement continued: "Mr. Coe is wrong to think Ms Semenya
is a threat to women's sport," calling her a "heroine" and
"inspirational role model" to young girls.
Semenya also sought to differentiate her case from those of
transgender athletes who were formerly male but have now entered
the female sporting arena.
"Ms Semenya is a woman. There is no debate or question about
this and the IAAF does not dispute this," the statement
continued.
"She was born a woman, raised a woman, socialized as a woman and
has competed as a woman her entire life.
"Mr. Coe may have views about transgender women in sport, but
that is a different issue.
"Ms Semenya does not wish to undergo medical intervention to
change who she is and how she was born. She wants to compete
naturally."
The IAAF said Coe's comments are consistent with his, and the
organization's, stance on DSD athletes from the beginning.
"If you are going to have a protected category as we do for
female sport then you need to find a way for DSD athletes to
compete in a way that is fair for all female athletes," the
world governing body said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
"The IAAF has endeavored to do this with its Female
Classification eligibility regulations and Lord Coe's comments
in the Australian Daily Telegraph are entirely consistent with
both his and the IAAF's comments on this issue since the
regulations were introduced."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford/Sudipto Ganguly)
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