LONDON, April 6: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed on Tuesday to adopt rules for dealing with cases of female athletes who have excessive levels of male hormones. IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said the committee will enact rules for determining the eligibility of women athletes with “hyperandrogenism” — a condition involving overproduction of male sex hormones.

The ruling IOC executive board agreed to put rules in place in time for the 2012 London Olympics. The IOC will also ask other sports federations to adopt similar measures.

The issue of gender verification gained global attention after South African runner Caster Semenya was ordered to undergo sex tests after winning the 800 meters at the 2009 world championships.

Ljungqvist insisted the IOC initiative had “nothing to do” with the Semenya case and that Olympic and medical experts have been debating the issues for years.

At the heart of the matter is whether a female athlete derives a competitive advantage over other women because of higher than normal levels of hormones such as testosterone. Some women with the condition develop male-like body characteristics, Ljungqvist said.

“Women with hyperandrogenism generally perform better in sport than other women,” the IOC said in a statement.—AP