what future has womens sport got?

[davidc4430]

Caster Semenya: IAAF rules to limit testosterone levels for female runners

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-26/iaaf-rules-to-limit-testosterone-levels-for-female-runners/970...

i see a huge problem looming for female sports

[not_for_sale2024]

Semenya is easily my favourite female runner. She is awesome and her rivals have no hope of beating her. However, I have mixed feelings about this issue and would have to learn more about it before I could make up my mind. On the one hand she is 'female' and it's her oppositon's bad luck if she was gifted with more testosterone than them. But if that amounts to an unfair playing field, then I guess the problem needs to be resolved. I just hope they don't strip her of her gold medals - she won them within the rules at the time and it would be cruel to take them away from her. I think she has suffered enough with the insensitive comments suggesting she is a man in a woman's body.

[lyndal1838]

I can't see that it is making the playing field level.

She has been tested and cleared as being female and the testosterone is naturally occuring in her body.   How is it fair to want her to take medications to limit that testosterone?

There would be a hell of a stink if some man wanted to limit his testosterone in order to compete against the girls.....or if a man wanted to increase his testosterone in order to get a competitive advantage over other men.

I say if it is naturally occurring then leave her alone.....or allow everyone else to fiddle with their levels of testosterone.

[davidc4430]

i have never met the lady.

i have never seen her run.

my only knowledge is from photos of her in full flight.

to my untrained eye she doesnt look like any other female runner.

in fact if i was asked prior to knowing the story was the photo 'doctored' to show a male runner winning a womens race i'd have said 'yes it looks that way'

we are entering into new times where the lines are now no longer black and white with regard to 'what is a female'

and not before time i might add.

but in the sporting field how will those that be try to keep it fair if being 'classed' as female can be so open to interpretation?

and its really only the female side of sports we are talking about, not sure if there is a sport that a person with female atributes would do well in the male side of things.

i honestly cant see an answer.

maybe this 'testosterone' level thing might work but how long before its in the courts?

[not_for_sale2024]

One of the main reasons some long distance runners (male and female) are champions is because their heart muscle is larger than the average persons. This could be due to many reasons such as genetics, cultural diet etc. Could it get to the stage where people are ruled ineligible to compete if their heart muscle is bigger than a certain size? Personally I don't see much difference whether it's a natural hormone or a bodily organ. IMO Semenya is being singled out because of her appearance. I don't think they would be targeting her if she were blond, slim and had a Barbie-like face!

[lyndal1838]

There is no doubt that she looks like a male but if you read the article that you posted she has been extensively tested and has been certified as being female with the levels of testosterone being naturally occurring.   Why should she have to take medications to limit anything.....the rules do not allow medications to increase testosterone so why should it be limited?

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

Back when East Germany existed, a female athlete came to her coach, and complained that the drugs she was taking were producing some unwanted hair,  The coach reassured her that the hair on her chest was normal.  "Ja", the athlete replied, "but it's also growing on my testicles"............

[myoclon1cjerk]

🙂

https://youtu.be/aHBbInxJ4Is

[davidc4430]

so if we can breed amazon women, all natural super athletes, then that will be ok?

as that will be the next step for all those countrys who cant use steroids anymore.

selective breeding just like in the horse racing industry but in humans.

the future of womens sport will be interesting.

at this moment we have rare examples of women who are naturally over dosed in testoterone and therefore have an advantage over other female athletes, can we search out these ladys and find men of better than average sporting atributes to breed them together to get children created just for sport.?

i just asked the question 'where to for womens sport' if this is ok

[chameleon54]

My understanding was the testosterone testing thing was introduced in relation to intersex and transgender athletes. I thought there was a previous male athlete at the recent Commonwealth games who had gone through the procedures to become a female and was competing in womans sport. She was tested for 12 months before the games to ensure her testosterone levels where within defined limits, so not to have an unfair advantage.

 I couldnt comment on the athlete in the OP as I know nothing about her, but does she fall in the intersex catagory and is this why she has been tested ? 

It would be very challenging to be born without a clearly defined gender and society should do everthing possible to accomodate the needs of intersex people. Testosterone testing of intersex and transgender athletes sounds like a reasonable way to manage this difficult and sensative issue.