Johannesburg – Despite comfortably winning the 5 000m race at the SA Senior Athletics Championships at Tuks Athletics Stadium in Tshwane, Caster Semenya is still dogged by the controversial World Athletics rule to lower her testosterone levels.
She failed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in July after clocking 15 minutes 52.28 seconds in her now chosen, alternative 5 000m distance.
She was 42.48 seconds outside the Olympic qualifying time but has until the end of June to attempt at qualifying for the postponed 2020 Games.
According the the IAAF rules, she is not allowed to compete in events between 400m and a mile unless she takes drugs to reduce her high levels of testosterone. Semenya said she will not attempt to qualify for the 200m for Tokyo after defending her 5 000m title this week.
“I’m getting old‚ I’m scared to tear my muscles,” she said of the 200m event. “We had to sit down and make sure that the decision we make makes sense.”
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