The highly controversial decision handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week regarding Caster Semenya was always going to spark heated debate and divide opinions.
Is it Semenya’s fault that she was born with a rare condition known as hyperandrogenism, which means that she has both male and female traits?
While her testosterone levels occur naturally, her levels are understood to be many times higher than the normal range for women, giving her extra muscle, speed and endurance.
Shouldn’t women with intersex variations have the same right to dignity and control over their bodies as other women?
To say that Caster Semenya’s case is complex would be an understatement, but it wreaks of double standards by the IAAF and their amended regulations when you take in to account that in 2014 an Indian teenager, Dutee Chand, successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after she was indefinitely banned because of her high testosterone levels.
So now Semenya will be forced to take drugs to lower her testosterone levels if she wants to compete in her preferred 800 metres event – which will prevent Semenya competing as her authentic self – however if she competes in the 5000 metres she won’t have to take drugs to lower her testosterone levels.
(Photo: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)
It’s sad to think that in the year 2019, we have an outstanding athlete with a genetic gift who is being discriminated against.
Caster Semenya was born a woman, raised as a woman and always competed as a woman, so it’s a violation of her human rights to be forced to medicate to reduce naturally occurring hormones.
With Semenya having already lodged an appeal with the CAS, it will be intriguing to see how it all plays out.
Will it all be resolved before the Athletics World Championships to be held in Doha later this year?
And will Caster Semenya be allowed to compete in the 800 metres as her authentic self?
WorldInUnion
Guest
Caster Semenya is a man with internal testicles who also has female genitalia. He should be competing against men otherwise Usain Bolt may as well put on a frock and line up with the ladies. Unfortunately the farcical black lives matter movement will put this bloke back in the girls race which is a tragedy for women worldwide and another victory to the far left anarchists.
jameswm
Roar Guru
You missed the important part, Geoff. Those are not gender based traits.
jameswm
Roar Guru
She was actually born more male
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Many people are born with something that prevents them from pursuing a chosen field. This is just one of them. Everything in place except for one pesky detail. ---- I must say how the (so-called) equal opportunity people have had their own policies come back to haunt them in a way they never invisaged. ---- There are more differences than just the 'upholstery' in male and female. Brain 'wiring', red corpuscles, bone and muscle density, etc. Choosing your gender is not good enough. And it is men, with female physiology, choosing to be women that do it. Women with male physiology rarely choose to play in the men's comps!!! ---- Have a look at the women who pick up Silver and Bronze when beaten by a male who has made the transgression to female. Study their faces closely. That tells the story.
Torchbearer
Guest
Not everything is about dollars..
bandwagoner
Roar Rookie
Very difficult situation for Semenya. I would err towards accepting her as she is.
CW
Guest
A ridiculous decision. Does Usain Bolt have higher testosterone levels than peers? Yes. Is Mason Cox excluded from playing AFL because he is taller than his peers? No. She hasn't manufactured this advantage, it is her genetic make up. She has also overcome distinct social disadvantage in her upbringing. Embarrassing for the governors of world athletics to have made this call.
Geoff
Guest
If your genetics make you tall you have a better chance at basketball success than someone short. If you're born white you're at an advantage over a black skinned person when it comes to swimming. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28561485. If you're born with a long armspan your reach will be an advantage against other boxing opponents. If you're born with the natural ability to build more muscle mass then that should just be seen as another case of winning the genetic lottery in the sporting arena. It's an arbitrary line to draw.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
She wasn't born a woman at all, she was born intersex. She identifies as a woman, but that shouldn't matter in the world of elite sport. She is also not forced to medicate. No-one is forcing her to compete in the female division. She merely has the option if she chooses.
BlouBul
Roar Rookie
The answer is to have three categories, males, females and people with both. Then you have a level playing field. This fight is not about fairness, it is all about using the unfair advantage to earn $$.
Phil
Guest
Yes, it is sad, and yes it is not her fault. However, in elite sport, having a level playing field is mandatory. In her case her high testosterone levels are natural, but with her having both male and female traits, it is not a level playing field for her female competitors. If they artificially raised their testosterone levels to compete, wouldn't they be labelled as drug cheats? It's all very difficult , but sadly inclusiveness can't mean being able to accommodate every single possible genetic aberration in elite sport.