Athletics Kenya drops two athletes over Testosterone levels

Kenya's Maximila Imali finishes the athletics women's 400m semifinal during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games [Courtesy]

Athletics Kenya (AK) has taken a precaution to avoid IAAF’s sword concerning the restriction of testosterone levels in female runners that took effect on May 8.

As a result, the body has dropped two female sprinters from the team for the IAAF World Relays championship in Japan this week, after blood tests showed high levels of testosterone.

The 100m and 200m champion Maximilla Imali and 400m runner Evangeline Makena were dropped days after Caster Semenya’s lost appeal against IAAF on the clipping of testosterone levels in female runners.

The decision last week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport means that female athletes with elevated testosterone will have to take suppressive treatment if they wish to compete as women in certain events.

The ruling angered Semenya who took to Twitter to vent her frustrations with a cryptic tweet that prompted fans’ messages of support urging her not to quit athletics.

Athletics Kenya however, doesn’t want to clash with IAAF and have gone ahead to drop the pair.

“We could not risk travelling with the two athletes after the recent IAAF ruling on the restriction of testosterone levels on female runners that took effect on May 8,” said Athletics Kenya director of competitions Paul Mutwii. ?