Woman's 800 MTR Olympic final

[poolman]

Its not fair to let men run in it and win

[lord bunberry]

Its not fair to let men run in it and win
I just started a similar thread in the pm board. What chance have athletes like sharp got? She was absolutely distraught at the end of that race, I really felt for her.

[Allant1981]

Im sure seb coe and the iaaf tried to get her to take supressors but werent backed by the court

[easty]

I posted this in reply to you on the private board Lord B

I think it's quite right she doesn't have to take the treatment. We're not talking about someone being asked to stop taking a treatment that's improving her performance, it'd be about asking someone to take something that works against the way she is naturally.

So in effect, you can't take performance enhancing drugs, but you must take these performance negating drugs. That's not fair, and it's correct that CAS ruled against it. How is that anything to do with political correctness?


I've just watched it this morning, the girl wasn't even close to breaking the world record, and Lesley Sharpe was still miles behind. You see Semenya go over to Sharpe after the race and more or less get blanked. I don't know if that was just how it looked, or heat of the moment or whatever. I thought it looked poor as **** though.

[easty]

Im sure seb coe and the iaaf tried to get her to take supressors but werent backed by the court

Yep, and why should she?

We don't ask Usain Bolt to take anything even though he's naturally better than anyone else.

[CropleyWasGod]

Does this open up the case for recognising, as some countries have, a third gender?

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[Pretty Boy]

Does this open up the case for recognising, as some countries have, a third gender?

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I think this is an interesting issue.

Society recognises a myriad of genders now but in sport it's still a black and white case of male or female. Semenya has about 3 times the level of testosterone of an average woman and has intenal testes in place of her ovaries (if leaked medical reports are to be believed at any rate). Many people with her condition would object to being labelled as male or female and would wish to be identified as intersex. Of course with Semenya it's not simply a case of her gender but also her entire sex characteristics.

A further question is how much of an effect the testosterone actually has. Whilst it may provide some benfit, testosterone level is only one of a number of factors that efrects performqnce.

[s.a.m]

My initial reaction to the intersex athlete conundrum was probably that it just isn't fair, but the more I think about it, the more that argument unravels. This opinion piece is interesting, and I think I would agree with it:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101769-intersex-athlete-caster-semenya-rightly-free-to-run-at-rio/

[easty]

My initial reaction to the intersex athlete conundrum was probably that it just isn't fair, but the more I think about it, the more that argument unravels. This opinion piece is interesting, and I think I would agree with it:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2101769-intersex-athlete-caster-semenya-rightly-free-to-run-at-rio/

It's a good article.

[ekhibee]

I was listening to what Paula Radcliffe had to say about it on the BBC. Normally she does a hell of a lot of waffling, but I agreed with her about this. Semenya isn't cheating and never has, but at the same time she's got an overwhelming advantage over other athletes. She's been through loads of tests regarding gender, and she was also lied to regarding that as well. And by the way, if Sharpe blanked her I've got no respect for Sharpe at all. To say it's an anomalie is a huge understatement really, Semenya has an unfair advantage because the other athletes cannot develop that way, but she's not cheating at all. She didn't get to choose regarding her body.

[lord bunberry]

It's a good article.
It's a different way of looking at things, but it doesn't change my mind. When it comes down to something as basic as gender, I think it's correct that the intersex issue is addressed in sport.

[Danderhall Hibs]

I was listening to what Paula Radcliffe had to say about it on the BBC. Normally she does a hell of a lot of waffling, but I agreed with her about this. Semenya isn't cheating and never has, but at the same time she's got an overwhelming advantage over other athletes. She's been through loads of tests regarding gender, and she was also lied to regarding that as well. And by the way, if Sharpe blanked her I've got no respect for Sharpe at all. To say it's an anomalie is a huge understatement really, Semenya has an unfair advantage because the other athletes cannot develop that way, but she's not cheating at all. She didn't get to choose regarding her body.

She did blank her there's an article on the guardian website. Comes across as a sore loser.

[DarrenSQH]

Sharpe is your typical Hun. Finish 6th and cry because the 1st place person has an advantage over you. What about everyone else that beat her.

Delighted she didnt medal and doesnt get to parade it at Ibrox again.