Sha'Carri Richardson meets Caster Semenya amid the 800m runner’s discrimination court case controversy

American athlete Sha'Carri Richardson has shown love to South African middle-distance runner Caster Semenya. Last month, the women’s 800m runner made headlines for winning a discrimination case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). However, she and many other women athletes were denied participation in the recent tournaments.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya always remains in the public eye for her gender. The 32-year-old athlete was born with XY chromosomes and differences in sexual development. Semenya has a condition known as hyperandrogenism. It is characterized by higher-than-usual levels of testosterone, a hormone that increases muscle mass and strength and the body's ability to use oxygen.

Due to the regulations released by World Athletics in 2019, Caster Semenya was banned from competing. Her testosterone levels were high and the regulations demanded her to reduce it to a considerable level by consuming chemicals. However, consuming medications to alter her gender’s biochemistry felt offensive and was also a strong human rights violation.

Caster Semenya at World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Day Six

She therefore brought this issue to attention at the European Court of Human Rights but was denied participation rights in recent tournaments due to her testosterone levels.

Showing Caster Semenya her love, athlete Sha'Carri Richardson was recently seen visiting the athlete after competing in the World Championships and Diamond League events. Semenya shared moments from their meet-up in an Instagram post and wrote,

"Real see one❤️!!",

Sha’Carri Richardson also shared the picture in her story, captioning it,

“All love”

Richardson's Instagram story

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Sha'Carri Richardson supported Tobi Amusan amid the anti-doping controversy

Sha'Carri Richardson at Day 8 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

In July, ahead of the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Nigerian athlete Tobi Amusan made headlines for anti-doping violations. Amusan was accused by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of missing three drug tests in 12 months. This put her chances of participating in the World Championships in jeopardy.

Amid the controversy and flak that Tobi Amusan was receiving on the internet, athlete Sha'Carri Richardson rose in support of her. She shared a picture of Amusan in her Instagram story with the following caption:

“If u don't know which a lot of y'all do not, SHUT UP"

Amusan stated that she had not consumed any drugs or violated any law. She shared in a post:

"I am a CLEAN ATHLETE, and I am regularly; (maybe more than the usual) tested by the AIU - I was tested within days of my third 'missed test'"

“I have faith that this will be resolved in my favour and that I will be competing at the World Championships in August," Amusan wrote on her Facebook page.

Tobi Amusan was later cleared to participate in the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

The Athletics Integrity Unit had tweeted:

“A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period."