The Caster Semenya debate

I had the opportunity to attend a Debate yesterday at the Tea House Theatre, not far from Vauxhall Station in South East London. The debate motion was “This House Believes the Caster Semenya ruling is unfair”. 

The running order was

6.30 pm - 6.45 pm: Introduction to the debate
6.45 pm - 7.45 pm: Public debate and audience Q&A
7.45 pm - 8.00 pm: Break
8.00 pm - 8.45 pm: Showcase debate
8.30 pm - 9.00 pm: Post-debate drinks

Being the first time of attending I did manage to find the place easily and the surroundings were excellent. It is a nice pub at the end of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in the centre of London. It was not far from Vauxhall Underground Tube Station. The public debate was done by amateurs and students who were members of the debating club. The issue was well thought out and at the end, I sided with the notion that ruling was unfair. As it seemed they had specifically targeted Ms Caster Semenya. But later when the professional debaters dissected the issue and unfairness of the ruling to the other female athletes who had been put at what seems unfair disadvantage for being female, the offer of alternatives options available, and the science involved in testing, I changed to now believing that the ruling was fair and proportionate.

From the debate, I have managed to put together this.

Ms Caster Semenya came from a very poor family and grew up in the village of Fairlie, deep in South Africa's northern Limpopo province. She was raised up as a girl and for all intent and purposes considered herself a girl. She had always wanted to become an athlete and was active in sports from a young age. She may be suffering from what is defined as hyperandrogenism which is a genetic condition. There are different variants of the disease, and in the case of Ms Semenya, if she is suffering from the alleged condition she would be genetically male i.e. each cell in her body has the XY chromosome. So, far she has not had a genetic test, hence they is no way of confirming or denying this. She has does have external female genitalia. Hence, both labia, large clitoris and a blind vagina which ends in a pouch - if she was suffering from the above condition. There is no Uterus (womb), Fallopian Tubes or Ovaries inside her. But inside her abdomen would be testis and these are producing a high level of testosterone, in the place the ovaries should be (I suspect that they will have to remove them at a later age and place her on hormone replacement therapy – because there is a high possibility that they will become cancerous, this factor is very important to note as it concern her long term well being). I personally believe that we have intersex athletes taking part in female athletics from time memorial and there were no tests then. There is a racial element to it as she is black.

There were rules set up by IAAF were based on testosterone levels, they avoided the main issue of defining what constitutes a female.  Their ruling was specifically for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) and the specific metres that Ms Semenya is competing in. If Ms Semenya is to take part she would have to take replacement therapy. Her case was seen by the Court of Arbitration for Sports which in their release, they upheld the ruling. Hence it seems that she was targeted specifically by the IAAF and based on this I saw it as being unfair to her.

The effect of testosterone on the human body cannot be understated. It produces bigger hearts, lungs, muscles, bones and also ensures better stamina. Because they have better stamina and recovery, hence they can train for longer and more regularly. This put such individuals at an advantage,  although the estimation of the advantage of intersex is just 3% according to the stats in average athletes. But in elite athletes at the top of their game, milliseconds can be the difference between losing and winning. And even if the person is placed on hormone replacement therapy the bigger lungs, hearts, muscles, and limbs will still put the person at a serious advantage. This alone will place all the females at a disadvantage as they will be at a lower threshold for endurance and stamina. Hence, based on this I saw that the ruling was fair. But just measuring the testosterone opens another can of worms. For example, the issue of Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) where testosterone whatever the level has none or little effect on the cells, due to the fact that the receptors are not responding to testosterone and may even be raised because of a negative feedback loop.
 

Listening, I believe that it had become highly politicised and had become mixed up in female rights and complicated by racial undertones. There were elements of #MeToo, as well. The IAAF avoided the issue of sexuality entirely but based it on current testosterone levels.  Which I see as a mistake, Usain Bolt, if he desired, can now undergo a sex change and start on hormonal replacement therapy and begin smashing the female records.

Athletes have done it before. In the case of Ms Caster Semenya, she can compete in female sports if she lowers her testosterone level. Otherwise, she would compete as a male athlete, this is a compromise and it seems the IAAF "chicken out". If William Bruce Jenner the 1976 Olympic decathlon gold winner had become Caitlyn had the high of his frame, maybe the IAAF would have been forced to deal with it then. Kristen Worley is a transgender athlete and is a Canadian Olympic female cyclist and won medals as being female.

One thing I know the IAAF has opened a can of worms and they will have to face the definition of male and female gender in sports eventually.