Much has been said of late about Alvaro Bautista's superb performances in WSB and the consequent need to 'level the playing field.' I'm going a bit off tangent here, but very relevant to the 'level playing field' argument. Reported on today's news that South African female athelete Caster Semenya (2016 Olympic Gold Medalist) has learnt that to continue competing she will have to take medication to decrease hormone levels: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47276765 This is ironic that Athletics Federations around the world ban performance 'enhancing' drugs, but now, we see the introduction of performance 'decreasing' drugs that will be legal. This paves the way for 'nobbling' any athlete who might be blessed or hampered with above average abilities through no fault of their own other than having peculiar family genetics.
I’m glad you started this nigel I wanted to start a thread but didn’t know how to word it THAT IS A BLOKE I have just seen an interview with it on the news and it is definitely a bloke 100% and not going to argue
Yep, good job you didn't start this thread.... I've seen women's races with her in that have ended with 1st and 2nd place closer than Mo Farah finishes in most of his races.
Heard a good debate on R2 about this subject the other day. In order to be classed as female the person would have the XX Chromosome and a Male has the XY. Even Females can naturally have higher testosterone levels but they would not have gone through the Male puberty advantages (increased strength and muscle mass etc). Caster Semenya does have the XY chromosome. We all know she looks and sounds like a Man. I am not going to give my view on whether I think she should compete or not but I will say one thing - If I was a World class female 800 meter runner who has been an athlete since I was a little girl, going to all those National and international meetings over the years, giving up all social life and teen holidays because of my athletic discipline, I would hate knowing she is starting the same race as me.
Fair point, Des, but also consider that the other competitors had given up all of those life's pleasures also. There will always be competition between humans - for many it is the will to prove to be the best. Take marathon runners with their massive aerobic capacity and dominance of 'red twitch' muscle fibres. That is their physical make-up just as Caster's is an over-abundance of testosterone. This 'inequality' of penalising birth given genetics extends to our own Anna Carrasco, who is penalised because of her low body weight. Not her fault. Why load her up with 20 kilos? Danny Pedrosa was never penalised for being short and 51 kilos, and the gangly riders like Valentino Rossi and Ruben Xaus have made the most of their less than perfect racing body type.
She has an overabundance of testosterone because she was born with both female and male genitals and her parents chose to bring her up as female. Her testicles are in her stomach hidden away but still there hence the high levels of testosterone. That does not put her on a level playing field with female athletes and it has to be addressed. Unfortunately the way it’s been dealt with by the various athletics committees is an utter disgrace in the way they have publicly humiliated her instead of dealing with it behind closed doors.
But Spoons, that's the way she was born. And you've coined it: she was brought up female. This is not a case of a transgender person having an unfair advantage, despite her looks, she is all woman. For all I know, I could have a fanny hidden away in my stomach, but I'm damn sure I'd never use that as a means of defending my above-average cleaning performances!
Nah then Sir Les.....you can't say these days that a fanny makes you a better cleaner And besides it's not true....I avoid any house work like the plague Or maybe these lumps in my tummy aren't backed up fritters after all
That’s the problem though Nigel, biologically she isn’t all woman. She produces male levels of testerone because she has a pair of bollocks in her stomach. The argument is there that if she wants to be all woman then cut her bollocks off (or out in her case) then there is no argument but she knows full well she would no longer be the athlete she is. Lol the day I was created there was clearly a lack of cleaning skills being handed out to the point it’s time I got myself a house cleaner - preferably she’s in her 20s and from Scandinavia
This is highlighting the problem facing women's sport. If you have a man who transitions to female they are legally female but genetically male. This gives them an unfair advantage in some sports because whilst men and women may be equal they are not the same. The articles I have seen/read about this tend to lean towards having 2 classes of female competition in the future, one with xx chromosomes and testosterone levels below a defined limit, and the other with xy and higher testosterone. As is the way in the world these days the people who protest/highlight the current situation are facing intimidation and even death threats.
To use @Selmer50mark 's well used phrase.... I can't be arsed... It's all a load of bollocks Oh.......hang on......
Media narratives have become more important than facts - (at least until people waking up to it reaches a critical mass).
True, BSS. One of the most famous 'early' cases was that of tennis player Dr Renee Richards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renée_Richards
Latest response from the athlete herself, Caster Semenya has expressed her anger and disappointment at the IAAF’s decision to limit naturally occurring testosterone levels in female athletes. “This is a real kick in the bollocks for me” said Semenya.
Kentblade, that is absolutely brilliant. What political correctness brainwashing we have to endure these days. If anyone thinks we live in a free society with freedom of speech think again.
