Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) – (Ottawa, Ontario – May 2, 2019) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) and AthletesCAN are voicing their disagreement with the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification that pertains to female athletes with differences of sex development (DSD). The CCES, CAAWS and AthletesCAN place a high value on inclusion and respect in sport and continue to believe that these regulations are in opposition to those principles.
Yesterday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released its ruling on Caster Semenya’s and Athletics South Africa’s (ASA) appeal of the IAAF’s regulations that place several requirements on a female athlete who has a DSD resulting in a high level of circulating testosterone (above 5 nmol/L, in serum) and who is androgen-sensitive. Most notable and perhaps most damaging is the requirement to artificially lower a female athlete’s natural testosterone for an extended period of time to below 5 nmol/L in order to be eligible to compete in certain races and competitions, known as Restricted Events.