McColgan calls for new categories as Semenya row rumbles on

Former 10,000 metres world champion Liz McColgan has said there should be separate events for athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) and for transgender competitors following a controversial ruling concerning Caster Semenya.

This week South Africa middle-distance star Semenya lost a challenge against the International Association of Athletic Federations over plans to force some women to regulate their testosterone levels.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision means that female athletes with elevated testosterone will have to take drugs that suppress those levels if they wish to compete as women in certain events.

The IAAF argued that athletes such as two-time Olympic 800 metres champion Semenya had an unfair advantage over others.

McColgan, whose daughter Eilish has run against Semenya, expressed sympathy but backed the 2-1 CAS verdict as a necessary ruling to protect the integrity of women's sport.

But the Scot also suggested Sunday that one forward would be to create new categories for some non-binary genders.

She also echoed concerns over Semenya being required to take drugs in order to continue running from the World Medical Association (WMA), which urged doctors not to enforce the new IAAF rules.

- 'Make everything fair' -
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"I do not agree that anyone should take any drugs to reduce testosterone because I'm a big supporter of a drug-free sport and I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if I said (Semenya) should take medication to suppress what is naturally high in her."
"That way it makes everything fair in the sport for everyone involved."
"If you went on that start line and, especially in Caster's case, the athletes know that they're not going to beat them so they've just got to settle for whatever the best is that they can do."