Thunderclap for Namibia. This Friday, July 2, a statement from the Namibian Olympic Committee indicates that Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi have a testosterone level too high to be able to run over 400 m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The two girls are no longer on the World Sports Federation’s list of athletes who can compete in the 400 meters at the Olympics in Tokyo. They have a natural testosterone level too high to compete in the 400m, according to the criteria used by World Athletics since 2019. This was stated on Friday morning by the Namibian Olympic Committee (NNOC) in a press release.
“NNOC and our medical director are in close contact with Dr. Stéphane Bermon, World Athletics Medical Director, to adopt the best attitude regarding our two sprinters. We are confident of their future as elite athletes. What is happening should not be seen negatively but as a new challenge […] “, Writes the Namibian Olympic Committee.
In the same situation as Caster Semenya
NNOC clarifies that World Athletics has requested that the two athletes pass medical tests, they were tested in Italy near their training camp. “The results of these tests show that they both have naturally high testosterone levels. Due to World Athletics rules, they will not be able to compete in 400m per mile competitions, “the statement said.
As the Olympics approach fast, Mboma and Masilingi are therefore in the same situation as Castern Semenya and other athletes, such as the Burundian Francine Niyonsaba or the Nigerian Aminatou Seyni, by presenting differences in sexual development (DSD), forced to undergo medical treatment
or to change the distance.
The joint coach of Mboma and Masilingi, Henk Botha, explained to the local newspaper The Namibian that his athletes would “focus entirely on the 200 m Olympics” and that discussions with the International Federation would resume after Tokyo. The two Namibians are on the other hand, far from the best in the world.
Christine Mboma, 7th best player of all time
Christine Mboma, who just celebrated her 18th birthday, had clocked an incredible time of 48 seconds 54 over 400 meters on Wednesday, June 30 at the Bydgoszcz meeting in Poland and became the 7th best player of all time. The young Namibian, unknown before this season, had improved his own junior world record which is dated from April (49 sec 22). She pushed back the Polish European champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic to more than three seconds. Mboma had achieved by far the best world performances during the year and was the big favorite at the Olympics in Tokyo.
In fact, only two athletes who are still active have already run faster: Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, reigning Olympic champion, should focus on Tokyo in the 200 meters, and Bahrain’s world champion Salwa Eid Nasr has just been suspended for two years for anti – – offenses. doping rules.
