Two-time Olympic 800m gold medallist Caster Semenya has joined a South African women’s football team.
The 28-year-old is unable to compete without taking testosterone-reducing drugs following a rule change by the IAAF, athletics’ governing body.
It means she cannot defend her 800m World Championship title in Doha this month – though she is fighting the rule change through the courts.
She is now training with Gauteng-based women’s football club JVW.
The three-time world champion, who announced in July that she would not be defending her 800m world title, cannot starting playing for JVW until the 2020 season, having joined outside the South African transfer window.
“I am looking forward to this new journey, I appreciate the love and support I already get from the team,” Semenya told the club website.
Club founder and South Africa captain Janine van Wyk said: “I am absolutely honoured that out of all the other women’s clubs around the world, she has chosen JVW as the club where she would like to start showcasing her football skills.”
Semenya is not the first athlete to transfer to football – after retiring in 2017, Usain Bolt joined Norwegian side Stromsgodset before signing for Australian side Central Coast Mariners, but he left after eight weeks at the club.
The IAAF introduced the rule change because it argues female athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) – such as Semenya – have “a competitive advantage”.
Athletes must either take testosterone-reducing medication in order to compete in track events from 400m to the mile or change to another distance.