Athletics world champs rocked by testosterone controversy

Tue, 1 Oct 2019, 5:39 am

Niger sprinter Aminatou Seyni is set to bring the contentious eligibility rules regarding athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) back into the limelight at the world championships.

After storming home to win her 200m opening-round heat on Monday night in Doha, Seyni confirmed she had been banned from her favoured event, the 400m.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has ruled that DSD athletes must take medication to suppress their testosterone if they are to compete in any events ranging from 400m to the mile.

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The ruling, in place since May, prevented South African great Caster Semenya from chasing a fourth 800m world title in Doha.

Seyni's best event is the 400m, where she sits in third spot on the 2019 rankings with a personal best of 49.19 seconds set at the Lausanne Diamond League meet on July 5.

But the only event the 22-year-old is contesting in Doha is the 200m, where she flew home to win her opening-round heat in a PB of 22.58, the sixth fastest time overall.

"We will try to arrange between my manager and the IAAF, but yes I was forbidden to participate in the 400m," Seyni told reporters after the race.

"I am obliged, it is because of the new rules of the IAAF.

"As for Caster Semenya, I am obliged to do like it."

Niger's Aminatou Seyni (R) is congratulated by Germany's Tatjana Pinto after competing in the Women's 200m heats at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Doha. Picture: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

In the absence of Semenya and the other two medallists from the Rio Olympics, Francince Niyonsaba from Burundi and Kenyan Margaret Wambui, the women's 800m gold medal at the Doha world titles was won on Monday night by Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi.

Her winning time of one minute 58.04 seconds was nearly three seconds slower than Semenya ran three years ago in Rio.

Because research suggests that DSD athletes only get an advantage in the middle-distance events, the new testosterone regulations do not apply to the sprints or long-distance races.

The semi-finals of the women's 200m are on Tuesday night (early Wednesday AEST) with the final the following day.