South African middle- distance runner Caster Semenya has taken a swipe at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

In a statement on Tuesday, the 800m Olympic champion has accused the IAAF of treating her like a human guinea pig.

The 28-year-old athlete claims that the world athletics’ governing body used her to experiment with testosterone-reducing drugs.

“The IAAF used me in the past as a human guinea pig to experiment with how the medication they required me to take would affect my testosterone levels,” said Semenya.

Semenya is opposing in court the federation’s new rules requiring women athletes with a condition known as hyperandrogenism to artificially lower their testosterone levels for them to be allowed to compete in races of between 400m and 1 mile.

“Even though the hormonal drugs made me feel constantly sick, the IAAF now wants to enforce even stricter thresholds with unknown health consequences,” Semenya said.

“I will not allow the IAAF to use me and my body again. But I am concerned that other female athletes will feel compelled to let the IAAF drug them and test the effectiveness and negative health effects of different hormonal drugs. This cannot be allowed to happen.”

Last week, Switzerland Supreme court temporarily suspended the new IAAF rules pending the hearing and determination of an appeal by Semenya.

Her bid to stop IAAF from implementing the rules was rejected by Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled that the rules were “discriminatory” but “necessary” to ensure fairness in women’s athletics.