It's hard not to have sympathy with South African athlete Caster Semenya after she lost her appeal against The Court of Arbitration for Sport which has has rejected Semenya's appeal against athletics' governing body's regulations which found that forcing athletes with high levels testosterone to lower them is 'discriminatory but necessary'.
Unlike may of the drug cheats in Athletics, Semenya has done nothing wrong, she was born with her condition, raised as a woman and continues to identify as a woman and her high levels of testosterone are naturally occurring.
The problem is that the high level of testosterone gives Semenya 'a significant and unfair advantage' and the testosterone level should be reduced to ensure fair competition in women's sport.
The IAAF says that most female athletes have testosterone levels in the range of 0.12 to 1.79 nanomoles per litre (nmol/l) while Semenya has the levels of a normal adult male, from 7.7 to 29.4nmol/l.
The International Olympic Committee states 99% of women have testosterone levels less than 3.0nmol/l and Semenya must reduce her levels to 5nmol/l to protect the other 99% of female competitors.
I understand the opposite argument that testosterone is a naturally occurring body hormone but the ruling seems fair to me because to allow someone to compete against women with such a staggering disadvantage is unfair.
She has an unfair advantage so you can either bring her down to everyone else's level or raise everyone up to her level. First is simple, second is madness and almost impossible.
ReplyDeleteMe a misandrist or you missing the sense of humour gene?
Bring her down as in undo her unfair advantage
ReplyDeleteHmmm...classy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if a basketball player was 29 times taller than the rest of the players (the amount of testosterone Semenya has of an advantage more than the rest of the female athletes) then you would have a point but he isn't so your point is laughably awful.