- European judges ruled that Caster Semenya was denied a fair trial over the testosterone rules that ended her Olympic career.
- But the ruling does not lift the ban that stops her from competing unless she takes medication to lower her natural testosterone.
Caster Semenya has scored a big legal win, but it is not enough to get her back on track.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Thursday that Switzerland's top court violated her right to a fair trial. The court had rejected her earlier appeal against rules that ban her from running unless she takes medication to lower her natural testosterone.
But the court did not overturn those rules. That means the two-time Olympic champion is still banned from racing the 800 metres - the event she dominated for years.
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Semenya, 34, was born with a rare condition called differences in sexual development (DSD). She has the "46 XY" chromosome, usually found in men, and naturally high testosterone levels.
She has always identified as a woman and has refused to take the hormone-lowering drugs since the rules were brought in by World Athletics in 2018.
In 2009, officials forced her to undergo gender tests after her victory at the World Championships. She later said, "I was treated like a human guinea pig." She was also placed on medication for months.
After years of legal battles, her final hope was the human rights court in Strasbourg. Judges said Switzerland failed to protect her rights, but did not strike down the testosterone rule itself.
The case must now go back to the Swiss court for review.
Semenya said she hoped the ruling would inspire young women to embrace who they are. But she repeated that she will never take the drugs again, no matter what.
Earlier this year, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was banned from competing. This made many angry and created a debate around the world, including from Donald Trump and author J.K. Rowling.
World Athletics and World Boxing now use cheek swabs to test for the Y chromosome. Human Rights Watch has slammed the method as "degrading" and "bad science".
