In the case of star runner Caster Semenya, a sports arbitration court must determine the definition of a woman
From the moment she burst into the spotlight as a teenager, sprinting to victory at the 2009 track and field world championships, Caster Semenya faced anger and suspicion.
It wasn't just her precocious speed over 800 meters. It was her broad shoulders, the set of her jaw and muscular build.
One of her rivals, Italian runner Elisa Cusma Piccione, told reporters: "Just look at her."
For much of the last decade, Semenya has faced claims that her physique and natural but unusually high testosterone levels give her an unfair advantage over competitors.
Track has long wrestled with issues surrounding hyperandrogenism, the term applied to a small percentage of female athletes who do not fit neatly into predetermined gender classifications. The primary question: Should sports officials determine who is - or is not - a woman?
Focusing on testosterone, a hormone responsible for strength and mass, the international track federation recently proposed that females exhibiting a "difference of sexual development" - meaning they
