Hey, I hope you are all having a lovely Monday morning.
This week’s topic can be quite controversial, but I have tried to be precise in my wording.
It is important to realise the complexity of this issue, and to read this the whole way through before passing judgement.
(I would be really interested to hear your opinions - just reply to the email)
Sex Testing and Classification in Sport
Are you a Male or Female?
Defining and dividing males and females in sport has long been a problem, one that has not been solved and only continues to be a problem for many athletes across many sports.
“Gender verification testing in sport, first introduced in 1966 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in response to fears that males with a physical advantage in terms of muscle mass and strength were cheating by masquerading as females in women's competition, has led to unfair disqualifications of women athletes and untold psychological harm.”
(read more - Oxford Academic)
’Sex’ refers to the biological differences between males and females, such as the genitalia and genetic differences. ‘Gender’ is how one chooses to identify to the world.
Issues arise with women not being allowed to compete for being of male sex according to their testosterone levels.
Testosterone is a natural hormone that everyone produces. Males produce very high levels of it, and it is what drives their sexual development and affects their appearance too. Testing the levels of it is currently what defines classification in elite sport.
(image by VOX Media)
There is no doubt that Testosterone is a huge performance enhancer, hence why even in the male division, the World Anti-Doping Agency has banned anabolic steroids, which increase testosterone levels, thereby improving muscle strength and endurance.
However, there are multiple factors that can affect how an athlete performs, from physiological factors such as VO2 max and heart size, to environmental factors such as nutrition and training.
It has been proven that it is not one, but a combination of all the factors, that leads to a better performance.
Crucially, it’s not just testosterone.
Every now and again an athlete comes along that has been born with a unique physical feature that that gives them an advantage, but they are not discriminated against for this - unlike females with naturally high testosterone levels!
“Basketball players are generally tall and long-limbed, whereas gymnasts tend to be small and compact. Wrestlers' upper bodies are heavily padded with muscle, while fencers carry more muscle in their lower bodies. Swimmers and divers tend to have a slightly higher percentage of body fat than other athletes, but marathon runners appear to have hardly any body fat at all.”
(read more - Live Science)
Over the years multiple different methods have been used to divide male and female athletes. From physical exams and appearance to chromosomal testing. Each one has led to criticisms and been proven inappropriate or incorrect.
Most interestingly, each new rule has divided the field differently, proving that depending on which method for testing is chosen, some perceived males or females could be either!
So where do we draw the line?
This short doc by Vox Media explains everything with very simple graphics and real footage.
The video highlights the prominent case of South African athlete Caster Semenya, but also demonstrates that she is not the only one affected by the classification rules.
(give this a watch then comeback)
My two cents:
They are banning her for competing exactly how she was born, which is really sad. Being intersex may have given her an advantage but she did not cheat to achieve such.
However, is it fair to the other women competing against her?
Certainly in many sports it can be argued and shown, that women are not inferior in physical ability at all, instead they lack funding and resources, and archaic societal norms need to change regarding gender perception and equality.
However, below are some elite athletics statistics, showing that for some sports it is definitely not a level playing field. These are track and field events but several other sports show the same trend.
Statistics (here) by Duke Law Professor Doriane Lambelet Coleman, and Wickliffe Shreve.
Devil’s Advocate-
What’s to stop men simply identifying as female and competing in the women’s division if they don’t implement sex testing?
Recent news about Caster Semenya.
“The South African athlete will not be able to defend her 800-metres title in September after the Swiss Federal Tribunal reversed a ruling that temporarily lifted testosterone regulations imposed against her. Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg the 28-year-old said that 'when you're the best in the world, people get obsessed'.”
(see more - The Guardian)
It is a complicated problem to solve and I am certainly not in a position to suggest a grand alternative. However, I agree that the system currently in place is not fair and needs to change.
Smile 😊
This is probably the coolest remix I have ever seen… will definitely cheer you up.
Photography 📷
Think 🤔
'Coffee flavoured water' doesn't sound good, but that's what coffee is...
Profound 🤯🌊
Your stomach thinks all potatoes are mashed.
That’s all for now 🤙🏽
Feel free to Reply ↩️ to this email!
I want to hear what you think.
Please Share ❤️
If you enjoy reading this every week or believe something needs to be shared, it would mean the world to me if you could pass this on to all your friends!!
cmeretome.substack.com
Thank you,
Guy