IAAF will ignore court, apply testosterone rules to 1,500

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — IAAF president Sebastian Coe says the sport’s governing body will apply its testosterone regulations to the 1,500 meters, ignoring advice from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAS said there was not enough evidence to show Caster Semenya had an advantage in that event because of her naturally high testosterone levels.

Coe’s response fuels Semenya’s argument that the IAAF is deliberately sidelining her. The Olympic 800-meter champion recently put more focus on the 1,500 as an alternative. She won a bronze medal in the 1,500 at the 2017 world championships.

CAS upheld IAAF rules regarding testosterone limits for certain female running events, but specified there was not enough evidence to apply them to the 1,500 and mile. CAS asked the IAAF to delay forcing athletes to medically lower their hormone levels in those races.

Asked Thursday if the IAAF would heed that, Coe gave a one-word answer: “No.”