Should intersex athletes be allowed to compete in sports? (drug, rating, states)
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The Olympic events were divided by gender. Caster being able to compete means the end of female only events in my opinion. Caster has no ovaries or uterus. We don't know if this athlete is XY, but Caster has been reported to have undescended testes and 3x the testosterone of a typical female.
Mostly irrelevant. She is visibly female as testified by her birth certificate, and likely so by chromosome. It is also clear she is a freak of nature. So are many if not most world class athletes.
I would think the chromosome is definitive. Not the testosterone level. Again humans with genetic abnormalities may well deviate from the norm. If it goes in the right way we celebrate it. Why would this lady be different?
Athletics South Africa (ASA) also subjected her to gender testing, without telling her the purpose of the test. As the tests had yet to be administered, Semenya raced and won the 800 meter run in a time of 1:55.45, setting the fastest time of the year and one of the tops times all time (to put in perspective, the women’s 800 meter world record is 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983, when many women were experimenting with performance enhancing drugs that were not yet tested for).
While the IAAF concluded their testing, Semenya was denied access to international races, and her previous wins’ legitimacy was threatened. Years of not being permitted affected her overall fitness level as well as her confidence. She was finally cleared on July 6, 2012, and began racing again. The official results of her testing were never released due to privacy issues, though a source associated with the IAAF claims that the results stated Semenya is intersex, better known as a “hermaphrodite.” The source states that Semenya has a vagina but not a uterus or ovaries. She also has undescended testicles in her body that release three times the amount of testosterone that is produced in an average female body. This may attribute to her manlier appearance and muscle build, and may, it is claimed, give her an unfair advantage over female runners. Because she has both male and female body parts, it is unclear if she should be allowed to participate in women’s running. The IAAF laws declaring either way on subjects like this are vague, though gender testing is not new in professional athletics.
Athletics South Africa (ASA) also subjected her to gender testing, without telling her the purpose of the test. As the tests had yet to be administered, Semenya raced and won the 800 meter run in a time of 1:55.45, setting the fastest time of the year and one of the tops times all time (to put in perspective, the women’s 800 meter world record is 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983, when many women were experimenting with performance enhancing drugs that were not yet tested for).
While the IAAF concluded their testing, Semenya was denied access to international races, and her previous wins’ legitimacy was threatened. Years of not being permitted affected her overall fitness level as well as her confidence. She was finally cleared on July 6, 2012, and began racing again. The official results of her testing were never released due to privacy issues, though a source associated with the IAAF claims that the results stated Semenya is intersex, better known as a “hermaphrodite.” The source states that Semenya has a vagina but not a uterus or ovaries. She also has undescended testicles in her body that release three times the amount of testosterone that is produced in an average female body. This may attribute to her manlier appearance and muscle build, and may, it is claimed, give her an unfair advantage over female runners. Because she has both male and female body parts, it is unclear if she should be allowed to participate in women’s running. The IAAF laws declaring either way on subjects like this are vague, though gender testing is not new in professional athletics.
Unsupported rumor is not confirmation even if reported by John Hopkins. It remains gossip.
Didn't Russia use to have women weightlifters that where XXY?
I feel for Semenya. She was born the way she was born. I don't think it is fair for her to compete against women in these races. Unfortunately, if she had to compete as a man, she'd be above average, but not good enough to be in the Olympics. She could still have a career in the athletic field.
This brings back memories of the Russian lady shot-putters back in the 1960s. People were outraged back then, and they still are, with good reason.
More recently, we have had the case of Brittney Griner, a lady collegiate basketball player. While Griner's collegiate career was unmarred by any proof of her being an actual male, fans of competing teams often pointed out her male qualities.
Is there really any glory in a "female" competitor-who-isn't winning against "real" women? Is there any real man out there who feels glorified by competing against a real woman, and winning? Political correctness aside, where's the glory? Why not compete against your own real competition, if you want to achieve something?
The truth is, you can't get away with this type of thing for long. You can win a few for the ol' ego, but your career will go nowhere. If there's a hint of scandal in there, the public won't support you. The public loves a fair game, and a hard competitor!
She was born a girl, right? Started competing as a teenage girl. Vagina? Check. How many teenagers know much of anything about the status of their ovaries and uteri?
Think of what she was subjected to because of her physical appearance. Here's what she has to say about it:
"I have been subjected to unwarranted and invasive scrutiny of the most intimate and private details of my being," Semenya said. "Some of the occurrences leading up to and immediately following the Berlin World Championships have infringed on not only my rights as an athlete but also my fundamental and human rights."
She wasn't pretending to be female, or transitioning to female. She has always been a girl!
I think it's disturbing we know so much about this poor woman's vagina.
This is VERY different than the "bathroom scenario."
People always point out natural advantages of athletes that aren't regulated, such as Usain Bolt's fast-twitch muscle fibers, Brittney Griner's height, or Michael Phelps' huge wingspan. Sports competitions don't have categories for athletes with slow twitch fibers, short stature, or short arms. We do, or should I say did, have separate categories for men and women.
The male/female division in sports used to be based on biological sex. In today's politically correct environment, biological sex is a continuum and people like Caster are intersexed. But if a continuum is to be the standard for determining sex, there can’t be a definitive designation of “female” and it makes no sense to have “female” sports.
Last edited by texan2yankee; 08-21-2016 at 08:29 AM..
She was born a girl, right? Started competing as a teenage girl. Vagina? Check. How many teenagers know much of anything about the status of their ovaries and uteri?
I'm a female who was very active in gymnastics as a teen. Low body fat percentage and very fit and muscular. Even so, by the time I was 18, if I hadn't developed breasts--even a little bit, and started menstruating--even once in a while, and if at the same time my voice changed and became deep and manly, I would have suspected something was off.
I'm pretty sure I speak for 99.9% of the world's females.
Poor Caster. She always was a girl. She should be competing as a girl.
Wrong. Caster was never a girl. And I doubt s/he had any interest in being considered one until realizing what a terrific advantage it would be to compete as one. 3x the testosterone of even a high testosterone woman. If testosterone was of no use to an athlete they wouldn't pay all that money to get it and hide their use of it. Lets be serious. Caster has testicles! Know ANY women that have testicles? You can take the high road in this because you aren't competing against her/him. Sports officials aren't stupid. Anyone in Rio who beats Caster is going to have their urine flown to Switzerland and run through the Hadron super-collider to find out what they were taking. Maybe in the future they can just save lots of time and money and just not contest events in which intersex athletes are competing. Just award them the Gold Medal and let everyone else thrash it out for Silver and Bronze. It should inform everyone that intersex people that present as male do not have any interest in competing as men, except in events where physical strength or ability is not a performance advantage.
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