Indian Sprinter Dutee Chand Wins “Gender Test” Appeal, Cleared to Run Again

The IAAF’s rules on hyperandrogenism- or the presence of high levels of testosterone – will be declared void if no evidence is presented by the deadline.

In a victory for individual athletes over governing bodies, sport’s highest court has suspended IAAF rules governing women who have high levels of male hormones.The rules requiring some female athletes to get medical clearance were introduced in 2011, after South African 800-meter runner Semenya was sidelined for nearly a year after winning the 2009 world title when she was 18.

While the Hyperandrogenism Regulations are suspended, Chand is allowed to compete at national and worldwide events. If, after two years, the IAAF can not provide better support for the policy, CAS will abolish it.

From being hailed as India’s next sprint queen to getting banned for failing an alleged “gender test”, Chand has seen it all. “Now I’m really anxious about the future of women in sports because, if we push this argument, anyone declaring a female gender can compete as a woman”. This will mean women athletes can compete as they are. At the 2012 London Olympics, four women were forced to have their internal testes removed in order to compete (they were genetically female, but had male sex organs). SAI’s faith in fair play and Dutee Chand’s endurance have finally paid off. She can now prepare without any uncertainty. She said no way would she take hormone-suppressing drugs to lower that testosterone level.

“My options were clear – go in for a surgery and face the risk of not competing again or approach the CAS to get the verdict in my favour which could have taken longer”, said Dutee, who is said to have given a very forceful and touching presentation to the CAS jury in Switzerland.

“I always believed the ban would be lifted because I knew Dutee was not at fault”, says Saraswati, the sprinter’s elder sister and a prominent athlete herself. “I’m not sure many people have ever been in that situation”.

In addition to the rule’s validity, the Court noted that there has been scant evidence provided that these elevated levels provide any kind of competitive advantage in the first place.

But critics have challenged the science involved, saying the link between testosterone and performance is unclear, and that testing is arbitrary and psychologically damaging. “I will now train hard to be able to bring laurels for the country”, said Dutee, who is now training at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad.

James Bunting, one of a team of lawyers representing Chand, said the CAS decision “should have far-reaching consequences around the globe as numerous other sports organizations have adopted the same or similar hyperandrogenism policies, including the global Olympic Committee”.

“I told her if sports is what you want to do, give it your best shot – and she has”, he says.