Encouraging news: rowing

[Pudmyboy]

From the Telegraph (sorry), tried to copy whole article but failed so this is the first paragraph:
British Rowing is considering banning transgender athletes from the women's category unless they were born female in an unprecedented members' vote, defying the sport’s global governing body
Sounds like good news to me!

Trans women who were put on puberty blockers at 10 are more likely to be dealing with multiple complex health problems than rowing competitively.

The line in the sand is sex = male / female... it should never have been crossed.

Any attempts to determine appropriate levels of testosterone or time since hormonal intervention did not result in levelling the playing field and there is no evidence that it is possible to do so.

I don't disagree with you.

The point I was making is that if you draw the line at having gone through male puberty the result will most likely be the same because stopping your healthy puberty doesn't go hand in hand with succeeding in sport.

I am so relieved they are doing this.

Rowers need to be tall and muscular and transgender athletes have an automatic physiological advantage over female rowers. Many rowers are incredibly athletic but would be rubbish at other sports. They are usually terrible runners (too big) and it attracts those who are a bit rubbish with their hand-eye coordination. They just need to be incredibly strong and fit, and have an ability to respond to coaching and an awareness of their body to make micro adjustments to technique. Plus be prepared to go through a lot of pain.

Its kind of the ultimate Olympic sport- faster, higher, stronger.

If they don't do something then transgender athletes would flock to the sport and quickly outrank the female rowers. I want my dd to have a chance in the sport!

The membership is split 60% male 40% female.. I hope enough people give enough thought to this..

To encourage you - my DS14 rows and voted the right way, reaching his own conclusions. Says his fellow rowers feel the same.