Semenya's reign to be ended by new IAAF gender rule

FILE PHOTO - Athletics - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games - Women's 800m - Final - Carrara Stadium - Gold Coast, Australia - April 13, 2018. Caster Semenya of South Africa. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

LONDON (Reuters) - South African Caster Semenya's long and controversial reign as the queen of middle distance running looks set to be ended this year not by a track rival but by a new hyperandrogenism rule that will stop her from running 800 and 1500 metres races.

The IAAF will publish new rules on Thursday to prevent women with the condition, which produces higher than normal levels of testosterone and is deemed by the governing body to give them an unfair advantage, from running distances from 400m to the mile.