Caster Semenya wins 5,000m gold at South African Athletics Championships, refuses to discuss CAS ruling

Johannesburg: Caster Semenya won the South African 5,000m title on Thursday but refused to discuss next week’s ruling on whether or not athletes’ testosterone levels should be regulated in a landmark case which could seriously impact her career. [caption id=“attachment_6095571” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Caster Semenya. Reuters[/caption] Semenya, the reigning Olympic 800m champion, is set to learn her fate next week after challenging the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) female track/field eligibility rules at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The South African wants a proposed rule change, which would force athletes with “differences of sexual development” (DSD) to keep testosterone levels below a prescribed amount, scrapped. The rule would apply only to female athletes competing in distances between 400m and a mile. Semenya, who comfortably won a 1,500m heat earlier in the day, did not speak to the media after her 5,000m triumph achieved in a time of 16 minutes 05.97 seconds. Meanwhile, world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, who recently recovered from a knee injury, withdrew from the championships. “It’s been quite a cold week, and I think it has built up over the last few days and I woke a bit tight and uncomfortable, so we decided not to take any risks,” Van Niekerk said. “I feel in good shape, and I feel capable of competing against the guys, but there is a long year awaiting and I want to make sure I can compete internationally.” The 26-year-old defending world champion injured a knee during a celebrity touch rugby match in Cape Town two years ago.