Overview

• On July 10, 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights held that Switzerland violated Caster Semenya’s right to a fair trial but rejected her claims of discrimination and privacy breaches.
• The ruling leaves World Athletics’ 2018 hyperandrogenism regulations intact, meaning Semenya remains barred from women’s events unless she lowers her testosterone levels.
• In March, World Athletics approved a buccal swab test to verify biological sex and may introduce it at the Tokyo World Championships in September.
• Caster Semenya, a double Olympic and triple world champion in the 800m, has refused hormone treatment since 2018, calling it harmful and unnecessary.
• Her protracted legal battle through the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Tribunal spotlights the balance between athlete rights and competitive fairness in women’s sport.