to think Lynsey Sharp should keep her sour grapes to herself?

[WrinklyBathToes]

I can't help but feel for Caster Semenya, poor lass has been subjected to all sorts of medical interventions and whispers. It's not actually her fault, it's a natural blip, why should she be subjected to all this bitching from the losers?

[JellyBelly89]

She didn't really bitch. Can you imagine running for your life, losing, and then being asked what you think about something and successfully poker facing your way out of it?

I think she did well to say no more than she did.

[Cocolepew]

Its not as if she had to make do with the silver, even if Caster wasn't running Lynsey wasn't getting a medal.

[ColdAsIceCubes]

I love Caster Semenya, and agree that she has been so very dignified whilst having all this testing done, but at the same time she does have a biological advantage. Women with normal testosterone levels just cannot compete with intersex athletes.
I don't think it's sour grapes on Lynsey's part, its knowing that no matter how hard you try, it just can't be good enough. I don't know what the solution is, but the current situation just isn't fair to anyone.

[nancy75]

Lynsey sharp shouldn't have been asked the question in the first place. She is an athlete not a politician and she was emotional as she had just finished a race.
Let's be honest, hand on heart who would be happy about having to compete against someone that has a massive unfair advantage ( I know it's not semenyas fault but it's still not a level playing field)

[LockedOutOfMN]

Agree with OP. Sharp wasn't the fastest of the "other" runners (sorry not sure of the most appropriate way to word that) so it's not as if she would have a gold medal without Caster Semenya's participation. Feel really sorry for Caster.

[iseenodust]

YANBU She was out of order and basically said we all talk about her. Caster is a woman with hormone issues and has been treated like a freak show.

[alphabook]

I don't see how it's any different to any other physical advantages that people are born with. Why are the majority of top runners black? It must be something genetic. Does that mean black people should be banned, as it's unfair to white people?

[nancy75]

Her testosterone levels are something like 3 times higher than in other women, it's nothing like the difference between being black & white

[LockedOutOfMN]

IceCubes I may well be wrong, but from what I've read, Caster's testerone levels are within normal boundaries, but higher than average.

[LockedOutOfMN]

*testosterone

[nancy75]

The boundary is 10 and I believe a level of 3 is the higher end of normal in women

[soloula]

Complete sour grapes. Plenty of athletes have a physical advantage over others and their success is celebrated (Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt anyone?) but poor Caster has had years of this nonsense. Nobody complains about the US or GB being at the top of the medals table in a large part due to the fantastic programmes in place and funding for current and future athletes. In fact many complain we don't support sport enough. You don't hear anyone complaining about the unfair advantage this gives us over poorer, less advantaged, some war-torn, nations competing. In an ideal world there would be a level playing field but the simple fact is there isn't and the Caster Semenya witch hunt is especially shameful considering scientists aren't even sure if elevated testosterone levels actually do confer any advantage hence overturning the decision for her to be forced to artificially lower them through drugs.

[JinkxMonsoon]

It's not sour grapes. Semenya has a massive biological advantage over females with normal testosterone levels. No "normal" woman can beat her.

[nancy75]

What do Michael phelps and ussin bolt have that makes them physically different from other men? They have nothing to do with this

[SonicSpotlight]

When she had to take medication to suppress her abnormally high testosterone levels she stopped winning. She stopped running for 3 years She only restarted once the case that led to the rules being changed was before the court.

[LockedOutOfMN]

Thanks, nancy, that's what I'd read too.

namechanger1981 If Caster's not female, then what is she?

[Berthatydfil]

I believe the top 3 runners all have the same issue.
This might have meant she would have won a medal.
I also understand she has done university research on this so is possibly more informed about the issue than the majority of commentators.

[soloula]

Why are the majority of top runners black? It must be something genetic. Does that mean black people should be banned, as it's unfair to white people?

There's a theory that black sprinters are genetically stronger due to the slave trade. Slave owners exercised a form of genetic selection "breeding" their strongest males with their strongest females. Many black runners are descended from this stronger 'stock', including Michael Johnson who presented a really interesting investigation on this on the bbc a few years ago, maybe 2012 for the London olympics actually.

[DailyFailAteMyFish]

Actually the top three in the race are androgenic. You have to feel for Lyndsey Sharp, it must be hard to know you can train your hardest and never beat those women.
Not sure there is a fair way out though.

[SorrelForbes]

It's not just about Caster though. There have been questions asked about the silver and bronze medalists too.

From the Telegraph: "Semenya, who reportedly has internal testes but no womb or ovaries due to an abnormality, has been dominating middle-distance running since a ruling which previously forced her to take drugs to cut her testosterone was overturned."

Her testosterone levels do give her an advantage. They are not within a normal range for a women.

[stitchglitched]

If Lynsey doped to give herself the same testosterone levels as Caster she'd be banned for cheating. Of course it's unfair.

[AnyFucker]

It was way out of order for Lynsey to be interviewed directly after her race. Emotions running high and she is meant to stay utterly pc ? Fuck that. She's an athlete and has her own opinion. If she wasn't allowed to express it when asked a direct question then that is censorship.

[BroomhildaVonShaft]

I don't think it's confirmed exactly but the belief is that caster has an intersex condition. That doesn't mean she can't be female however just female with some male type elements in her physiology. She has been allowed to compete as a female so that's what she is as far as we all know.

[stitchglitched]

The abuse Lynsey is getting online is bloody awful too.