South Africa to appeal against testosterone ruling against intersex athlete, Caster Semenya

The South African government on Monday said it would lodge an appeal after Olympic champion and intersex athlete, Caster Semenya lost her case challenging new rules forcing female athletes to regulate their testosterone levels.

"We'll file the appeal as soon as we possibly can," Vuyo Mhaga, spokesman for the South African sport and recreation ministry, told AFP.

Mhaga said the appeal, to be lodged at the Switzerland Federal Tribunal, would be based on complaints over the judges' past record on similar cases, lack of clarity over how the ruling could be implemented and how the evidence was handled.

"It is not explained how the IAAF (the International Association of Athletics Federations) is going to administer those regulations," he said.

"We feel that the scientific information that has been brought has been actually completely ignored and we've got a belief that a different court will arrive at a different determination.

"Everything is being done through Athletics SA."

This comes days after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, ruled in favour of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that female athletes like Semenya who has elevated testosterone must take testosterone suppressants like the contraceptive pill to stay under the permitted level to continue competing as a woman 

The IAAF argued that athletes such as two-time Olympic 800 metres champion Semenya had an unfair advantage over others.