The most dominant women’s 800m runner of this generation ran her final race in her specialty, at least for the foreseeable future. 

South Africa’s Caster Semenya won the Doha Diamond League in a scintillating 1:54.98, the fourth-fastest time of her illustrious career. With her latest commanding victory now complete, an uncertain future awaits the two-time Olympic champion as Semenya faces IAAF regulations that require her to take hormone suppressants to continue in the middle distances or compete in events outside of the 400m to mile range.

Semenya, who on Wednesday lost her landmark case against the IAAF over female testosterone limitations in the 400m through mile, won her 30th consecutive 800m race dating back to September of 2015. Her performance in Doha on Friday was her last before she must adhere to the IAAF’s rules regarding testosterone in the middle distance races, which means she will either have to resume hormone therapy to lower her naturally-occurring testosterone—like she did from 2010 to 2015—or compete in other races.

But it appears that Semenya has no plans to begin a regimen to change her biology, as she told Daily Mail reporter Riath Al-Samarri quite clearly that she will not take hormone suppressants.

I asked Semenya if she would take the medication as per iaaf regulations: "Hell no."

— Riath Al-Samarrai (@riathalsam) May 3, 2019

Instead, Semenya remains stoic and determined in the face of the biggest blow yet to her livelihood.

“I know life could be difficult at times but I'm a believer and I believe there is always a way to resolve issues,” Semenya told media afterwards.

“One of my firm beliefs is that there is always a way out for everything. So if a wall is placed in front of me, I jump it. I'm going to keep enjoying my life and live it. I will keep on training and running. To me, impossibility is nothing.”

Semenya further elaborated that she will not contest the 5,000m in future meets. Many speculated that perhaps she was training for that event in order to continue to compete legally, as the IAAF's testosterone regulations only apply to events from the 400m to the mile. 

Caster Semenya's response when asked whether she will take the medication as per the ruling of CAS: "Hell no"
Also says she will not run the 5,000m again, saying it was part of her base training, nothing else.

— Pippa Field (@PippaField23) May 3, 2019

When the track world returns to Doha in less than five months for the 2019 IAAF World Championships, the tremendous void of a Semenya-less women’s 800m will be palpable. On Friday she won on the Doha track by nearly three seconds, and her sudden removal is either a victory for fairness in women’s sport or a human rights injustice depending on your viewpoint on the controversial issue.

But there’s no debate that the women’s 800m is now going to be much different as Caster Semenya leaves a legacy of greatness that, for better or worse, may never be fully appreciated.

FULL RECAP: 2019 Diamond League Meeting in Doha