Olympic 200 metres silver Christine Mboma is set to return to competitive athletics for the first time after one year and eight months.
The 20-year-old from Namibian has chosen to relaunch her athletics career at the Absa Kip Keino Classic scheduled for April 20 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Mboma last competed at the Commonwealth Games when she claimed bronze in 200m on August 6, 2022, in Birmingham, Great Britain.
Mboma will take the blocks in the women's 100m. Mboma, the winner of the 200m at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic, was among athletes affected after World Athletics established new rules on Testosterone levels.
World Athletics stated that all athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD), who have 46 XY chromosomes with internal testes rather than ovaries, cannot compete in female sport in March last year.
World Athletics stated that they will only be allowed to compete if they reduce their high testosterone levels to below 2.5 nanomoles per litre for a minimum of six months and, in some cases, 24 months.
Since then, none of the high-profile DSD athletes affected by the ruling have spoken publicly, opting silently not to compete in races.
Mboma had to undergo treatment to lower her testosterone levels and has been cleared by World Athletics to compete in the 100m and 200m events.
Mboma’s coach, Henk Botha, expressed joy after World Athletics cleared his athlete to compete again.
“We have just received clearance for Christine to be able to participate in the World Athletics events again," said the South Africa-based Botha.
"The road ahead now is to get events and try to qualify for the Paris Olympics as soon as possible. From there on we shall just prepare for Paris and that's the main focus and target this year,” Botha explained.
Botha, however, said that Mboma would be on hormone therapy for her entire career to suppress her testosterone levels to compete with other athletes.
Kip Keino Classic director Barnaba Korir said he was happy that Mboma will start her season at the event.
“It’s good to once again host this talented young woman at our event, this not being the first time here,” said Korir, adding that Mboma launched her athletics career in Nairobi when she won the 200m final during the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi in 2021.
Mboma will battle home athlete Esther Mbagari, African Games 100m and 200m champion Mariam Gina Bass from Gambia, world under-20 200m bronze medallist Alana Reid of Jamaica, American Shannon Ray and Lily Kaden from Germany.
Also in the 100m field are the 2019 African Games 200m silver medallist Hamida Basant of Egypt and Belgian Rani Rosius.
