IOC to adopt rules in gender cases
The International Olympic Committee agreed to adopt rules for dealing with cases of female athletes who have excessive levels of male hormones.
The International Olympic Committee agreed to adopt rules for dealing with cases of female athletes who have excessive levels of male hormones.
IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said the committee will enact rules for determining the eligibility of women athletes with "hyperandrogenism" a condition involving overproduction of male sex hormones.
The ruling IOC executive board agreed to put rules in place in time for the 2012 London Olympics. The IOC will also ask other sports federations to adopt similar measures.
The issue of gender verification gained global attention after South African runner Caster Semenya was ordered to undergo sex tests after winning the 800 meters at the 2009 world championships.
Ljungqvist insisted the IOC initiative had "nothing to do" with the Semenya case and that Olympic and medical experts have been debating the issues for years.