JOHANNESBURG – Athletics SA (ASA) on Tuesday welcomed the decision by CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sports) to postpone the implementation of the new IAAF classification rules for female athletes which were due to take effect from November 1.
ASA, who are challenging the IAAF on the new regulations at CAS, had also made an application to have them suspended pending the completion of the hearing by CAS. This comes after the IAAF was challenged by Athletics SA (ASA) and SA 800m gold medallist Caster Semenya over the legality of the ruling.
The IAAF classifies athletes like Semenya as 'athletes with differences of sex development' (DSD), and had intended to implement testosterone-lowering medication for such athletes from the beginning of next month.
In a statement released on ASA said: "CAS has now issued a directive that the regulations are now effectively suspended pending the outcome of the appeal. On Wednesday 10 October 2018, the President of the CAS panel convened a teleconference meeting of all the lead counsels in the case together with their instructing attorneys to discuss, inter alia, the suspension of the regulations and the further conduct of the matter.
"CAS directed that the hearing take place in either Lausanne or Geneva from 18 February 2019 until 25 February 2019, inclusive. ASA is very pleased with the outcome and accordingly thank the legal teams of ASA and that of athlete Caster Semenya for the hard work done to date.
"The ASA appeal of the regulations is based on a number of points including its discriminatory effect on female athletes like Semenya. The South African legal team will also argue that the medical data relied upon by the IAAF is flawed."