We are still hopeful - Botha
Namibia’s reigning coach of the year, Henk Botha, said they are hard at work behind the scenes to once again see two of Namibia’s top sprinters competing in the 400 m.
NAMPA
Olympic silver medallist Christine Mboma and finalist Beatrice Masilingi were in July 2021 barred from competing in the women's 400-metre race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games due to their naturally high testosterone levels, according to World Athletics’ track and field rules.
Botha, who scooped the award for best coach on the continent in December 2021 during the Confederation of African Athletics Awards ceremony, said there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes in protesting the decision, which has left his athletes unable to compete in that discipline.
“Every day we are busy training and preparing for competitions, but that does not mean we are not working on the issue of the girls being banned,” he said, adding that the 400 m sprint is one of their favourite track events, and they would love to compete in it once more.
“If we are told the girls can once again race in the 400 m, then we will gladly do that because that is one of their favourite sprint events,” Botha said.
At the end of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, outsports.com released a report where World Athletics corrected the findings that originally led to the international track and field organisation - and thus the Olympics - banning South African sprinter Caster Semenya and other athletes with higher levels of naturally occurring testosterone from certain women’s events.
Potentially misleading
In 2017, World Athletics released findings that claimed women with higher naturally occurring testosterone levels had clear, seemingly “unfair” advantages over other women when competing in certain events such as the 800 m, 1 600 m or other long distances.
But in findings by Roger Pielke, a professor who writes about science and politics, World Athletics is now making very different claims about the 2017 findings that led to these bans.
“The organisation chose to base its 2018 regulation on a set of scientific claims,” Pielke wrote in a lengthy, revealing blog post. “It now admits that those claims were wrong and potentially misleading.”
On Wednesday, Athletics Namibia president Erwin Naimhwaka said they are in touch with Botha’s team and support all the ongoing efforts to lift the ban for all affected athletes.
Olympic silver medallist Christine Mboma and finalist Beatrice Masilingi were in July 2021 barred from competing in the women's 400-metre race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games due to their naturally high testosterone levels, according to World Athletics’ track and field rules.
Botha, who scooped the award for best coach on the continent in December 2021 during the Confederation of African Athletics Awards ceremony, said there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes in protesting the decision, which has left his athletes unable to compete in that discipline.
“Every day we are busy training and preparing for competitions, but that does not mean we are not working on the issue of the girls being banned,” he said, adding that the 400 m sprint is one of their favourite track events, and they would love to compete in it once more.
“If we are told the girls can once again race in the 400 m, then we will gladly do that because that is one of their favourite sprint events,” Botha said.
At the end of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, outsports.com released a report where World Athletics corrected the findings that originally led to the international track and field organisation - and thus the Olympics - banning South African sprinter Caster Semenya and other athletes with higher levels of naturally occurring testosterone from certain women’s events.
Potentially misleading
In 2017, World Athletics released findings that claimed women with higher naturally occurring testosterone levels had clear, seemingly “unfair” advantages over other women when competing in certain events such as the 800 m, 1 600 m or other long distances.
But in findings by Roger Pielke, a professor who writes about science and politics, World Athletics is now making very different claims about the 2017 findings that led to these bans.
“The organisation chose to base its 2018 regulation on a set of scientific claims,” Pielke wrote in a lengthy, revealing blog post. “It now admits that those claims were wrong and potentially misleading.”
On Wednesday, Athletics Namibia president Erwin Naimhwaka said they are in touch with Botha’s team and support all the ongoing efforts to lift the ban for all affected athletes.
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