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Original poster

To be worried about the future of WOMEN'S athletics

337 replies

TeamCersei · 11/08/2017 22:30

Just that really.

I've been avidly following the athletics and have noticed that at least two countries where the competitors are, how can I say this tactfully,? Are of dubious gender. Hmm
and guess what. They win the races. Every time.

How can women compete against this?
How is it fair?

I'm prepared to get my arse handed on a plate but I don't care.
I think this needs to be discussed.
God only knows how it feels from a competitor's point of view.
No matter how hard you train, the best woman can't hope to win against'men'

OP posts:
AlecTrevelyan006 · 13/08/2017 20:22

Lyndsey Sharp has spoken out on this issues a few times. Three of the first four athletes are intersex. That must be tough to take.

Rhubarbginisnotasin · 13/08/2017 20:37

Three of the first four athletes are intersex. That must be tough to take

Im back home from my holiday now and was able to sit down and watch this from start to finish. I wasn't aware there were 3 intersexed athletes in the race till I watched the line up and thought 'there are 3 men in that line up' despite the long hair

Rhubarbginisnotasin · 13/08/2017 20:38

Wambui, Niyonsaba and Semenya are all running in the final tonight

Albeit in the wrong race.

Original poster
TeamCersei · 13/08/2017 20:39

Lyndsey Sharp has spoken out on this issues a few times. Three of the first four athletes are intersex. That must be tough to take.

and each time she's been hauled over the coals about it.

OP posts:
youarenotkiddingme · 13/08/2017 21:40

I find of the 3 of them CS 'looks' most male. It's not just the way she looks facially or her body build but look at her posture when she runs. That is extremely comparative to the males compared to the females. I'm sure that must be due to hormones affecting physique?

I won't pretend to know much about it but there is definitely genetics involved somewhere I thought hence why the sprinters are predominantly black and from a certain heritage and the same with long distance runners?

Even thinking back to Linford Christie and Chris Akabussi.

I've also heard of it with regards swimming which is why when the black American swimmer won at their worlds it was such a big deal.

Original poster
TeamCersei · 13/08/2017 21:51

Semenya, a South African with levels of testosterone three times higher than that of the average woman, was able to compete without suppressants after the Court of Arbitration for Sport suspended regulations on "hyperandrogenism" in a case last July.

Recent law reforms allowrunners to avoid testosterone-suppressants.

Well that's that then.

I see there was one athlete who was brave enough to speak out and then this happened,

She was forced to clarify that she had "tremendous respect" for Semenya after earlier fighting back tears as she told the BBC: "The public can see how difficult it is with the change of rule but all we can do is give it our best.

Forced? Hmm Sounds like there's a lot of bully boy tactics going on in sport.

Sounds as if anybody tries to raise concerns, there are cries of 'discrimination'.

Bloody hell, the whole sorry mess is a joke.
I don't think I'll bother watching women's athletics any more.

OP posts:
Original poster
TeamCersei · 13/08/2017 21:51

Don't bring race into it please.

OP posts:
BoneyBackJefferson · 13/08/2017 22:09

JigglyTuff

RTFT, Especially the IAAF stuff.

DorisMcSweeney · 13/08/2017 22:11

Fantastic to see the world's best female 800m runner win the title tonight.

Shame she is not white or blonde enough for some people. However she is the world champion, and the moaners aren't.

BoneyBackJefferson · 13/08/2017 22:12

TeamCersei

Can you provide a link for that please.

As far as I know, the IAAF case hasn't been put in front of CAS yet.

morningrunner · 13/08/2017 22:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BoneyBackJefferson · 13/08/2017 22:15

DorisMcSweeney

Shame she is not white or blonde enough for some people.

Where has anyone (other than those pushing the racist agenda) said this?

Papafran · 13/08/2017 22:18

Ajee Wilson left Margaret Wambui eating her dust tonight though. I thought for a brief moment that she might win it, but she really really well anyway.

NauticalDisaster · 13/08/2017 22:22

YANBU - if sport isn't going to be segregated by sex then there should not be any segregation at all, what's the point?

youarenotkiddingme · 13/08/2017 22:25

Doris Confused

JigglyTuff · 13/08/2017 22:55

I've read it BBJ. I know they're trying. But right now, women are losing out on medals.

The other day, I listened to Jo Pavey talking about getting the bronze medal that was rightfully hers 10 years after she should have won it because Elvan Abeylegesse was finally stripped of the title for doping. She said while it was gratifying to finally win, it wasn't really the same as being awarded it on the day when she should have rightfully been competing against her peers and won it on that basis.

I'm sure in years to come, the real winners of tonight's 800m will be feted.

But it will probably be too late for many young women who watched tonight's finals and thought that if they had to compete against 'women' who are basically men, they don't stand a hope in hell. And that perhaps athletics isn't for the,

JigglyTuff · 13/08/2017 22:59

athletics isn't for them

PetalMettle · 13/08/2017 23:06

Funnily enough when I've raised this on twitter the reaction has been a lot like Doris's - you get accused of being racist and not respecting non white bodies.
This has been a problem for years now - the top 3 is invariabley that 3. Yes ajee got into 3rd today but she's the fastest ever American - only doesn't hold the record because she tested positive for drugs but escaped a ban as it was apparently through eating contaminated beef.
Ultimately the only dividing category in athletics is sex, and that's why this is more of an issue then training at altitude etc

BoneyBackJefferson · 13/08/2017 23:13

JigglyTuff

The thing is though that the IAAF are trying and are on the side of testing and limits.

In this case you can't really put them in the wrong, they have to follow the legal requirements as set down by CAS.

and even if (as it is an if) they get their way for testing limits I suspect that there will be years of legal action from various parties.

Jaxhog · 14/08/2017 11:24

I'd always thought that the point of having separate female sports is to give women a chance of taking part without competing against men, because men are physically stronger and faster. Doesn't it then make sense to keep women's sports for women. i.e. no intersex people, no transgender people etc. While I can see why they would want to compete in women's sports, it does rather defeat the whole point.

The only fair alternative is to go the way of paralympic sports and have categories, depending on how 'female' you are.

JigglyTuff · 14/08/2017 11:29

I know they're trying BBJ. Maybe they will influence the IOC to change their stance. Right now, it's a bit depressing to watch (though the women's relay last night was awesome :) )

FirstOfHerName · 14/08/2017 11:30

I won't pretend to know much about it but there is definitely genetics involved somewhere I thought hence why the sprinters are predominantly black and from a certain heritage and the same with long distance runners? I've also heard of it with regards swimming which is why when the black American swimmer won at their worlds it was such a big deal.

I don't mean to derail the thread, but there are socio-economic and cultural factors at play here too, which is why we see more black track athletes than swimmers. I'm not sure genetics plays as big a part in it as people think.

SamanthaBrique · 14/08/2017 11:33

Lynsey Sharp was absolutely pilloried and accused of being racist when she raised concerns about Semenya last year, but she wrote her dissertation for her law degree about hyperandrogenism, so it's not like she was talking about something she knew nothing about.

Original poster
TeamCersei · 14/08/2017 11:33

Shame she is not white or blonde enough for some people. However she is the world champion, and the moaners aren't.

Don't be ridiculous.

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