Zuko Komisa

Olympic running star Caster Semenya just won an important round in her seven-year legal battle against rules that decide who can compete in women’s sports.
On Thursday, 10 July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Semenya’s rights were partly ignored when her case was heard in Switzerland.
The court, with 15 out of 17 judges agreeing, said that Semenya didn’t get a fair hearing at Switzerland’s highest court.
She had appealed there after another sports court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sided with World Athletics, the group that runs track and field.
Now, Semenya’s case will go back to the Swiss court in Lausanne.
The ECHR, located in Strasbourg, France, did dismiss some other parts of Semenya’s appeal. But it did award her 80 000 euros (about R1,6 million) to help cover her legal costs.
JUST IN : The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favour of 2-time Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya.
— Kaya News (@KayaNews) July 10, 2025
The court has upheld the 2023 ruling against Switzerland.
The case is focused on World Athletics' rules requiring athletes with differences in… pic.twitter.com/pNnB4jpqW3
Semenya was in court to hear the decision herself.

It’s important to know that this ruling doesn’t get rid of the World Athletics rules that have stopped Semenya from running her favorite race, the 800 meters.
She won two Olympic gold medals and three world titles in that event.
The main reason Semenya won this round is that the Swiss court didn’t look closely enough at her case.
The judges in Strasbourg said that because athletes have to take their disputes to the CAS – there’s no other choice – the Swiss court needed to be extra careful in its review.
The ECHR said in a statement, “The court felt that the Swiss court’s review wasn’t good enough.”
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