CAS allows Dutee to resume career

Lausanne, July 27

In a big relief for Dutee Chand, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) today allowed the Indian sprinter to resume her career as it partially upheld her appeal against the IAAF regulation on hyperandrogenism, which had barred her from taking part in women’s competitions.

The CAS ruling said that there was no clear evidence that she might have benefited from her condition of having higher testosterone levels than others.

In an interim award in the arbitration procedure between Chand, Athletics Federation of India and International Association of Athletics Federations, the CAS suspended the hypera- ndrogenism regulations of the world athletics body for two years while granting permission to her to compete in both national and international events.

“The panel has suspended the 'IAAF Regulation Governing Eligibility of Females with Hyperandrogenism to compete in Women's Competition' for a maximum period of two years in order to give the IAAF an opportunity to provide the CAS with scientific evidence about the quantitative relationship between enhanced testosterone levels and improved athletic performance in hyperandrogenic athletes,” the CAS said in a statement.

“In the absence of such evidence, the CAS Panel was unable to conclude that hyperandrogenic female athletes may benefit from such a significant performance advantage that it is necessary to exclude them from competing in the female category,” the world's top sports tribunal said.

“While the Hyperandrogenism Regulations are suspended, Dutee Chand is permitted to compete in both national and international athletics events. Should the IAAF not file any scientific evidence within the two-year period granted by the CAS Panel, the hyperandrogenism regulations will be declared void,” it said.

The appeal hearing against the IAAF's hyperandrogenism policy, which bars female athletes having a higher than normal level of male hormones, ended in Lausanne on March 26.

The 19-year-old Dutee was disqualified last year by the AFI after tests revealed that her body produced natural levels of testosterone above permissible range. She has a condition called hyperandrogenism and her body produces natural levels of testosterone so high to place her in the male range in the eyes of international track and field. In December last year, the CAS, in an interim order, allowed Dutee to take part in domestic events. — PTI