How hard is it to know if an elite athlete is a woman? (Read 2189 times)

    http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=105551&SPID=13055&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=204777516

     

    From the article... "The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure," Davies added...

     

    Say what?  

     

     

     

     

      There's more information here at the 'Science of Sport'

      Further evidence that nothing is quite as black and white as you think it might be......

       

      'even genetic testing cannot confirm male or female. In fact, it is so complex that to do proper sex determination testing, you have to take a multi-disciplinary approach, and make use of internal medicine specialists, gynecologists, psychologists, geneticists and endocrinologists. I am afraid that dropping your pants is not proof at all.'

       

      John

      Goal: Age grade over 80% on a certified course.
      jpnairn


      straw man

        Pretty amazing. Just looking, I say she's a man, baby!

        "A group of doctors, including an endocrinologist, a gynecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist have started the procedure but the date the results would be announced was not yet determined."

         

        A psychologist? Seriously? To determine "her" gender?

         

        I browsed around a few articles, and a lot of them just say things about her musculature, but it's really about her lack of any hips or breasts, really any visible indication of womanhood. (Her haircut doesn't help her case, either.)

        But there are more details on what it means to be male or female in this context in this article in the Science of Sport:

         

        Caster Semenya: male or female?

        MTA: Damn, you beat me.

        He who has the best time wins. Jerry

        Trent


        Good Bad & The Monkey

          Occasionally, babies are born with ambiguous genitalia and it can be difficult to figure out the correct gender (if there is one). 

            I guess you learn something new every day. 

             

            I have of course heard of this but I didn't think it would take an entire team of experts 3 weeks to figure out the answer. 

             

            At that point I'd say you have to punt.  It would not be fair for this athlete to compete againt women.  In my opinion it would be terrible for the single athlete but better for the entire sport in general. 

             

             

             

             

              also...

               

              "We are more concerned for the person and not to make this as something that is humiliating," he said.

               

              well I think that ship has sailed at this point.  you can't say your team of experts don't know the answer and then say you don't want to humiliate someone. 

               

               

               

               

              Trent


              Good Bad & The Monkey

                Well, at least we can figure out her BMI pretty definitively.
                jpnairn


                straw man

                  I just posted this comment on the Science of Sport column. Most of the comments there were extremely supportive of Semenya and some commented on how she would be excluded from sport if they determined she was not female.

                   

                  If Caster Semenya is deemed "not entirely female" that does not exclude "her" from competing against other men.
                  It isn't "her" fault she was born different, but neither is it the fault of "entirely female" women who work very hard to make their female bodies perform amazing athletic feats.

                  He who has the best time wins. Jerry

                  Chris345


                    I just watched her win gold in the 800 in Berlin.  That's a dude
                      Well, at least we can figure out her BMI pretty definitively.

                       

                      If I have offended you in this or other discussions I appologize.  I actually was trying to be mostly constructive in my comments. 

                       

                       

                       

                       

                        It isn't "her" fault she was born different, but neither is it the fault of "entirely female" women who work very hard to make their female bodies perform amazing athletic feats.

                         

                         

                        I'd have to sign off on that part of the opinion. 

                         

                         

                         

                         


                        Mitch & Pete's Mom

                          also...

                           

                          "We are more concerned for the person and not to make this as something that is humiliating," he said.

                           

                          well I think that ship has sailed at this point.  you can't say your team of experts don't know the answer and then say you don't want to humiliate someone. 

                           

                           

                          +1

                           

                          Carlsbad 1/2 marathon 1/26.
                          Trent


                          Good Bad & The Monkey

                             

                            If I have offended you in this or other discussions I appologize.  I actually was trying to be mostly constructive in my comments. 

                             

                            You have not.  I was being silly.  If I have offended you, I apologize.

                            jpnairn


                            straw man

                              You have not.  I was being silly.  If I have offended you, I apologize.

                               I apologize for interrupting your apologies.

                              He who has the best time wins. Jerry


                              Lazy idiot

                                Doug B and Trent: hug it out, bitches.

                                Tick tock