Story perspectives

Semenya Slams IOC's Gender Policies as Unfair and Exclusionary

4/3/2026

Summary

Story summary

Caster Semenya has criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s new gender-testing policies as unfair.
She argues that genetic screening amounts to exclusion and the policy returns to SRY testing.
The reforms face backlash for potentially marginalizing Semenya and boxer Imane Khelif.
Experts warn the approach oversimplifies complex biological differences and raises ethical concerns.
Semenya says the IOC President Kirsty Coventry let athletes like her down.

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Story summary

Caster Semenya has criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s new gender-testing policies as unfair.
She argues that genetic screening amounts to exclusion and the policy returns to SRY testing.
The reforms face backlash for potentially marginalizing Semenya and boxer Imane Khelif.
Experts warn the approach oversimplifies complex biological differences and raises ethical concerns.
Semenya says the IOC President Kirsty Coventry let athletes like her down.