- Caster Semenya's lawyers are calling for the World Athletics testosterone regulations to be suspended.
- This comes after the 2017 study was recently corrected by its publishers.
- Semenya did not defend her title at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics after attempting to qualify in the 5 000m.
It's been revealed that the controversial World Athletics study on testosterone regulations, which barred Caster Semenya from competing at the Tokyo Olympics, has been corrected by its publishers.
The 2017 study has been among the evidence used to restrict athletes with a rare genetic condition that results in elevated testosterone levels in races between 400m and a mile.
Semenya is a *two-time Olympic gold medallist and world champion three times over in the women's 800m but was barred from competing in her specialised event since 8 May 2019.
The South African refuses to take medication to reduce her testosterone level and has twice failed in legal battles to overturn the World Athletics decision.
Semenya has since taken her case to the European Court of Human Rights and shifted her attention to the 5 000m - hoping to qualify for her third Olympics in Tokyo.
However, Semenya struggled to qualify and was sorely missed at the Tokyo Games as the SA track and field team failed for the first time since readmission to make the Olympic podium.
The ruling has now come under scrutiny after scientists issued a correction to the study earlier this week, which was printed by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
According to the New York Times, the scientists acknowledged that their study indicated a pivotal relationship between high testosterone levels and enhanced athletic performance among top female athletes was "exploratory" and "could have been misleading by implying a causal inference".
One of Semenya's lawyers, Gregory Nott told The Telegraph on Wednesday that the athlete's legal team hoped World Athletics would now "support setting aside the regulations".
Nott questioned World Athletics decision to release the findings only after the Tokyo Olympics.
"This is very significant new information‚ said Nott of Norton Rose Fulbright.
"World Athletics have recently given notice of their wish to intervene in the European Court of Human Rights proceedings and we would hope they will now support setting aside the regulations.
"It is more than surprising that World Athletics did not reveal this evidence before the Tokyo Olympics and allow Caster to defend her 800m title."
*Semenya took silver at the 2012 London Games but was upgraded to gold after Mariya Savinova of Russia was stripped of her title and banned for doping.
Caster Semenya’s legal representatives are calling on the World Athletics to scrap the testosterone regulations after the governing body’s scientists admitted the findings that helped trigger the rules “could have been misleading”. #OngaziMakazi https://t.co/NQG1Rsk0Yf
— Right2Know (@r2kcampaign) August 20, 2021