Rédaction Africa Links 24 with BBC
Published on 2024-04-19 08:14:55
Olympic 200m silver medallist Christine Mboma revealed that her mental health suffered during her enforced break from athletics, but she found solace in training and did not lose hope. The 20-year-old has been out of competitive racing for almost two years due to new regulations for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD). Mboma had to take medication to lower her naturally-occurring testosterone levels in order to comply with the rules set by World Athletics.
“It’s not easy mentally – I’m not okay even now,” Mboma shared with BBC Sport Africa. “I am a strong person and any stuff that happened to me, I tried to forget. But it’s not easy. Training made me not lose hope, and then also it helped me with managing the stuff that I was going through.”
DSD is a group of rare conditions where a person’s hormones, genes, and/or reproductive organs may have a mix of male and female characteristics. World Athletics believed that DSD athletes would have an unfair advantage in female races, leading to the implementation of rules in 2018 that required them to lower their testosterone levels in order to compete in certain track events.
Due to these regulations, Mboma had to switch from her favorite 400m event to the 200m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she clinched a silver medal. She also achieved success as the world under-20 champion in the 200m in 2021. However, a further revision by World Athletics in 2023 prohibited DSD athletes from competing in any track events unless they reduced their high testosterone levels.
This meant that Mboma was unable to participate in any competitions until she complied with the new regulations, including missing out on her chance to compete in the senior World Championships in Budapest. Her coach, Henk Botha, expressed shock at the rule changes and praised Mboma for her strength and resilience during this challenging time.
Mboma will make her return to competition at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya, competing in the 100m event. She expressed her excitement about returning to the sport she loves and is eager to hit the track once again. Despite the setbacks and challenges she faced, Mboma remains positive and determined to continue pursuing her passion for running.
The road back to competition has been a long and difficult one for Mboma, but she is ready to make her comeback and show the world what she is capable of. Her resilience and dedication to the sport serve as an inspiration to many, proving that with perseverance and hard work, anything is possible.
In a world where athletes face numerous obstacles and challenges, Christine Mboma’s story is a reminder of the importance of resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment to one’s goals. As she steps back onto the track, Mboma’s journey serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the belief that anything is achievable with the right mindset and determination.
Read the original article on The Namibian
