Tokyo 2020: Caster Semenya fails to meet Olympic qualifying time for 5,000m as deadline passes
Caster Semenya was taking part in a race in Belgium which was held after the Olympic qualifying deadline of June 29 had already expired; 30-year-old South African fell short of the 15:10:00 qualifying mark
Last Updated: 20/07/21 11:05am
Caster Semenya failed in her latest attempt to achieve the Olympic qualifying time for the 5,000m, but she would not have been included in the South Africa team for the Tokyo Games even if she had.
The 30-year-old finished in fourth place with a time of 15 minutes, 50.12 seconds, in Belgium, meeting organizers said, falling short of the 15:10.00 qualifying mark.
Athletics South Africa said Semenya had missed the deadline for Olympic entries, which was on Tuesday, and they were told by governing body World Athletics no exceptions would be allowed.
"We did double check with World Athletics about the deadline and it was cast in stone. There would have been no special grace for Caster," Athletics South Africa spokesman Sifiso Cele said.
Double Olympic 800m champion Semenya has been barred from defending her title and from running in events from 400m to one mile at top track meets under World Athletics testosterone rules.
She refuses to take testosterone-reducing drugs, calling the regulations unfair and discriminatory.
Semenya can now only run in the 100 and 200m, or in long-distance races.
She said in February she was challenging the testosterone policy at the European Court of Human Rights in her third legal appeal.
Semenya has previously lost court cases against World Athletics at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and at the Swiss supreme court.
No date has been set for her case at the human rights court but it's unlikely it would be heard before the Tokyo Games open on July 23.
