Dutee Chand cleared to return to athletics after landmark ruling
Tuesday 28 July 2015 12:49, UK
Indian runner Dutee Chand has been cleared to return to athletics after a landmark ruling on the validity of so-called gender tests.
Chand had been banned since last summer - missing the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games - after failing a hormone test.
The 19-year-old’s condition hyperandrogenism produces high testosterone levels which saw her fall foul of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules on gender.
However, in a ruling Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) suspended the controversial regulation for two years, allowing her to compete again.
The CAS also said the rule would be scrapped permanently if the IAAF failed to prove that enhanced testosterone levels led to improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes.
"I am very happy and relieved," said India's reigning under-18 100 metres champion.
"I have gone through a lot of suffering and humiliation. Now I want to forget everything and start afresh," said Chand, now 19, her voice choked with emotion.
"I never took any drugs, I was born like this. I really want to thank the judges," said Chand, the third of seven children born to weavers in rural India.
"It is not only me, many more athletes like me will benefit from this landmark ruling."
Critics say so-called gender testing is arbitrary and psychologically damaging.
The IAAF introduced the rule after a controversy over the treatment of South African runner Caster Semenya, whose ban was lifted following an investigation.
Chand, who is currently training at a sports academy in Hyderabad, said she had to deal with insensitive questions over her sex with little regard for her privacy.
She said the ruling meant she could now focus on qualifying for next year's Olympics and improving her timings in her favourite 100 and 200-metre races.
"It is going to be very tough because my form has gone down. But it is not impossible, I still have seven months to recharge and recoup," she said.
"I am super excited. I think I have God's blessings."
