Caster Semenya , what do we think ?

Seems like she had a hard time a few years back not through her own fault but she is certainly a powerfully built woman compared to the rest of that field .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/36359361

I think what happened to her was a scandal but when your name is an anagram of “Yes a secret man.” What do you expect?

Well done and congratulations for winning the race?

(my thoughts in general)

I struggled with this one yesterday watching the race highlights. It’s clear her build gives her a hell of an advantage over her competitors, and the reactions she got from them at the end of the race when she went round shaking hands shows they think so too.

But if the rules say she’s allowed to race, she’s allowed to race.

loads of info here

Hyperandrogenism and women vs women vs men in sport: A Q&A with Joanna Harper

That’s a very interesting article, and I’d encourage anyone to read it completely.

I thought for 800m a more slight physique was an advantage

I applaud her for making an asset out of a quality that, in the rest of her life, is probably a bit of a liability.

Good for her !

She has been treated appallingly in the past, but has handled it all with dignity and incredible strength of character.

Deserves every bit of success that she achieves.

800m is more of ‘sprint’ these days, so the stronger athletes are not at a great disadvantage. Plenty of room for subtle tactics though.

Matt

I do not believe that women with hyperandrogegism should be competing unregulated. I believe that the divide between men and women exists precisely to ensure fairness in competition (as far as this is ever possible), and I think that if you respect that division, then a policy that addresses hyperandrogegism must exist.

THIS
How we handle this, with a person in the public eye, cruelly outed and disrespectfully treated, with sensitivity and leaving her with dignity is beyond me and will be beyond STW

Its a very difficult issue

That’s an awesome read up there, very, very interesting and well worth a read.

It’s simply impossible to introduce a fair system in which one naturally-occurring genetic mutation is ruled out, but another perhaps less visible one is celebrated.

I imagine that most if not all of the athletes Semanya is beating have significant genetic advantages over other athletes – perhaps some of them have some less powerfully expressed intersex characteristics without even knowing it?

If your abilities are naturally-occurring, then what is the problem? The idea of reverse-doping her androgen levels (as happened until recently) is far more ethically unsound.

Runs very quickly

So do we ban Bolt for being tall? Perhaps we make him run on his knees?

Seems like shes built a bit like the Williams sisters of Tennis domination fame, not many complaining about them dishing out whippings to all and sundry over the years.

Good interview in that link up there. Hugely tricky issue.

If your abilities are naturally-occurring, then what is the problem?

Read the link it explains all this

Read the link it explains all this

As it does pretty much every question or scenario posed in response to the OP. Very good.

Men and women should participate in the same sport competing against each other.

That’s equality and fairness for all.

What? What did you say?

Men and women should participate in the same sport competing against each other.

And in some sports, where the physiological differences don’t give one sex a significant advantage over the other, they do.

And in some sports, where the physiological differences don’t give one sex a significant advantage over the other, they do.

Pretty much only equestrian events and motor sport isn’t it?

I thought for 800m a more slight physique was an advantage

You must be too young to remember Jarmila Kratochvílová, who is still the record holder at 800M. She was very heavily built, obviously drugs were heavily rumoured.

I thought for 800m a more slight physique was an advantage

It’s basically a sprint now, they’re doing 400m in under 60 secs so power is key, albeit with the ability to use it efficiently.

You must be too young to remember Jarmila Kratochvílová, who is still the record holder at 800M. She was very heavily built, obviously drugs were heavily rumoured.

The current women’s 800m world record holder…

It’s always been a sprint though with a big tactical element.