Posted on 05/02/2019 10:28:23 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
On Wednesday morning, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of the restrictions placed on female track athletes with high levels of testosterone by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The landmark decision means that women like Caster Semenya of South Africa, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters, must take testosterone suppressants in order to continue competing in certain middle-distance events.
Since 2009, when Semenya won the World Championship 800 meters in Berlin at the age of 18, the middle-distance runner has been heavily scrutinized by the IAAF. At 5-foot-10 and with a distinctly muscular build, she stood out on the starting line and obliterated the field—running 1:55.45, two seconds faster than second place. The IAAF launched an investigation, ultimately deciding that Semenya, now 28, appeared to have DSD, a disorder of sex development that might produce atypically high (for a woman) levels of natural testosterone—and which might, in turn, enhance her running performance or give her an edge over other female athletes.
While Semenya’s hormone levels are not public knowledge, the runner is presumed to be hyperandrogenic, meaning she has levels of testosterone that exceed the “normal” limits for women (anything above 10 nmols/liter). This excess of testosterone, the IAAF claimed in a 2017 press release, puts hyperandrogenic athletes at an advantage, according to their cited research: “Certain events female athletes with high testosterone levels benefit from a 1.8 percent to 4.5 percent competitive advantage over female athletes with lower testosterone levels,” the federation wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at runnersworld.com ...
A small step in the direction of sanity.
I wonder what the international community thinks of American events, in which men compete openly as women, based ONLY on their “gender preference.’
This may run counter to some on here, but I’m sort of with Semenya on this... she isn’t “transgender” or taking steroids. Sure she is abnormal physically, but she’s still a woman gender-wise. She just produces more testosterone in her body than others. She shouldn’t have to take drugs to suppress her natural-born chemical makeup just to compete. Steroids or Transgender, I can see disqualification, but naturally-occurring hormones... no.
Since I think black men have 20 percent more testosterone than white men, you would have to give every black player some sort of testosterone depressant to make the playing field even.
Like affirmative action does when it comes to smarts.
Caster Semenya is not female.
“She” has male sex glands, testes, internally. “She” has no ovaries or uterus. Has never, obviously, menstruated. She does not have XX chromosomes. The most accurate description of Semneya is a man with some sort of vagina. Semenya’s body shape and musculature is that of a man, which “she” basically is.
For Semenya to compete against females is grossly unfair. The ban is long overdue. The 2016 olympic women’s 800m was a total farce with Semenya and two other African non-females stealing all the medals from the female athletes.
And Kenyans and certain other Africans are simply better built for running races than Europeans, so what do we do? Shorten their legs by 6 inches? Cut a toe off of each foot?
I agree with you. She didn’t do anything to increase her testosterone levels it’s just the way she was born. Forcing her to take testosterone suppressants is no different than forcing a chess player with an extraordinarily high IQ to take stupid pills to make it fair to dumber chess players.
That makes me think of Androgen Sensitivity Syndrome, but that can’t fit, either, because as full-blown AIS sufferers’ cells simply cannot respond to their own testosterone, they really are fundamentally women, albeit with vestigial vaginas.
Well some sadists might like that.
But it’s not my cup of tea :)
But let’s be honest, affirmative action is the suppressant against white males.
That’s why it can’t exist.
The purpose of women’s sports to provide a competitive space for females that is protected from the overwhelming athletic advantage of maleness.
Allowing maleness into the protected category via doping, transgender athletes, or intersex athletes (Semenya) is grossly unfair.
Since the word “women” is nearly meaningless today, a good step would be to rename the men and women’s sports divisions to “open” and “female”. Only non-doping biological women (XX) could compete in the protected “female”. category. Anyone, male, female, trans, intersex, whatever may compete in the “open” category, subject to male-level doping standards.
Fully-equipped biological males didn’t do anything to increase their T levels either. Why not let them compete as “women”? Their possession of testes, like Semenya’s, is natural - so why not?
I did a search and found that you made up all that crap about “testes” and “XX” chromosomes. That is not at all the explanation for her disorder.
This is not right, it’s her biologically normal levels.
Why didnt anyone demand the williams sisters take T suppressors?
PING!
Find someone smarter than you to help you next time.
Mokgadi Caster Semenya, is a middle-distance runner and 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist.
The South African athlete has testosterone levels three times higher than is expected in women due to hyperandrogenism.
She has no womb or ovaries, but instead has internal testes because of a chromosomal abnormality.
Semenya identifies as a woman, but some would label her as intersex.
Who is Caster Semenya? Why appeal loss on IAAF's rules is 'discriminatory' yet 'necessary'
It works both ways. Swimmers and high jumpers of European origin should probably have to wear a weight belt around their waists. We really need a Handicapper General to impose a wide range of physical offets and drug therapies to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, age, weight and physical condition, have an equal shot of winning in every event.
I think it’s time to start the “Really Special Olympics” open to anyone.
I agree with you. Otherwise it is a really slippery slope. What next?
Maybe they will have to have some complicated formula for extra weight to be carried in the race. Like horses.
You agree with non-females competing against females?
This is not a “slippery slope” issue. It’s a basic category-definition issue.
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