What you need know about Caster Semenya

Mokgadi Caster Semenya OIB (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance runner and 2016 Olympic gold medalist.

Semenya won gold in the women’s 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 1:55.45 and at the 2017 World Championships in her new personal best, 1:55.16. Semenya also won the silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in the 800 metres. She was the winner of the gold medal in the 800 metre events at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, it was announced that she had been subjected to gender testing.

She was withdrawn from international competition until 6 July 2010 when the IAAF cleared her to return to competition.

• 31 July 2009: 18-year-old Semenya runs fastest 800m time of the year to win gold at the Africa Junior Championships.
• August 2009: Semenya undertakes a gender test before the World Championships in Berlin. She is unaware of the purpose of the test, with Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene telling her it is a random doping test.
• 19 August 2009: Semenya wins 800m world gold, breaking the world-leading mark she set in July. After her victory, the news of Semenya’s gender test is leaked to the press.
• November 2009: There are reports that Semenya’s test has revealed male and female characteristics. The results are not made public.
• 6 July 2010: Semenya is cleared by the IAAF to compete again.
• 22 August 2010: Semenya wins the 800m at an IAAF event in Berlin.
• 11 August 2012: Semenya wins 800m silver at the 2012 London Olympics. This is later upgraded to gold after Russian winner Mariya Savinov is given a lifetime ban for doping violations. Semenya is also upgraded to 2011 world gold.
• July 2014: India sprinter Dutee Chand, 18, is banned from competing after a hormone test shows natural natural levels of testosterone normally only found in men.
• 23 March 2015: Chand begins a legal challenge against the IAAF’s so-called gender tests.
• 27 July 2015: Chand is cleared to compete; the Court of Arbitration for Sport suspends, for two years, the introduction of an earlier version of IAAF rules requiring female athletes to take testosterone-suppressing medication.
• 20 August 2016: Semenya wins 800m gold at the Rio Olympics, but the decision to allow her to compete is questioned by other athletes.
• 4 July 2017: Research commissioned by the IAAF finds female athletes with high testosterone levels have a “competitive advantage”.
• 26 April 2018: The IAAF introduces new rules for female runners with naturally high testosterone.
• 19 June 2018: Semenya says she will challenge the “unfair” IAAF rules.
• 18 February 2019: Semenya’s legal hearing begins at Cas.
• 1 May 2019: Semenya loses her challenge.