Women runners born with high testosterone levels enjoyed a "significant competitive advantage", said a study on Tuesday that could reignite debate on the future participation of athletes whose gender is questioned. The study, jointly sponsored by the sporting agency seeking to ban athletes with hyperandrogenism, comes three weeks before the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is due to present expert evidence on "the actual degree" of advantage. Hyperandrogenism is a condition that causes high natural levels of the male hormone, testosterone, in women. Without proof, IAAF regulations excluding women with hyperandrogenism from competition are set to lapse. Track stars such as SA’s Caster Semenya and India’s Dutee Chand both endured banishment for failing so-called "gender tests". The new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, was funded by the IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). The research by Stephane Bermon and Pierre-Yves Garni...
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