you volunteering? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by chook
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you volunteering? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by chook
Need I point out the obvious? Western Force fans no savvy
Anyone remember Maria Mutola - she looked damn scary, but I wouldn't have called her a man (certainly not to her face!)
CASTER Semenya, the athlete at the centre of a gender bender row, has recorded higher than normal levels of male hormones in her body, it has been revealed.
Preliminary medical tests taken on the South African 800 metres gold medallist before the start of the World Championships indicated she had three times the normal female level of testosterone, according to The UK's Telegraph newspaper.
Sources close to the investigation have told the British paper that this information led to the IAAF’s decision to ask the South African athletics body to carry out a detailed "gender verification" test on Semenya.
Semenya returns home to South Africa today and the country's parliament is preparing to file a complaint with the United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights over the athlete’s treatment.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1225766052751
She could just be taking hormones, in which case she'd probably get done for performance enhancing/doping. Whether she's a female taking male hormones or she's a male, it must be so upsetting to have to prove your sex and be in the eye of the world's media. It would take someone with pretty thick skin to cope with that.
some "women" also have naturally high levels of testosterone, which would go a ways to explaining her physique etc ...
You'd have to think the numbers were well outside the "normal" band for them to initiate a gender check though...
From what I recall of a similar case (several years ago, mind) the issue is the ratio of testosterone to another drug (ephitestosterone?). The normal ratio is supposed to be 1:1, but due to hormonal swings during menstration women are allowed a ratio of 4:1. The article above says "three times the normal level". A 3:1 ratio would then be fine (for the short-term - do a re-test in 2 weeks). A 12:1 ratio would be excessive!
Again, from what I recall (I'm no doctor), sustained high ratios of testosterone result in infertility.
I thought they initiated the gender check first (based on speed and appearance) and this is subsequent news.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyS
You'd think someone that fast would have drug/banned substance testers all over her already ...
"...this information led to the IAAF’s decision to ask the South African athletics body to carry out a detailed "gender verification" test on Semenya"
* actually reads article rather than making assumptions * oops... :redface:
In the mean time Sheikh has come to my rescue :D
Glad my freakish ability to recall useless information has come to some use outside of pub quizzes.
The news is reporting she's a hermaphrodite - all internal so she didn't know.
Intersex. The term hermaphrodite isn't used anymore despite it being the only word the media knows.
I love this story, its exactly what I've been studying this past 7 weeks at uni, can't help but feel sorry for her though. She never knew the difference and has now been publicly announced as an intersexed individual, in front of the whole world...and she's only 18. Guarantee there won't be an apology either, because of the 'circumstances'.
Also can't help be a bit annoyed that despite identifying as a female, Semenya is unlikely to be able to participate in any professional sporting event until she has surgery. For 18 years she has identified as a female and always had female external genitalia and now to be told a) your intersexed and b) you're not allowed to participate in professional sport until you get yourself 'sorted'. The kind of damage that could do to a person, I truely hope she comes out of this on top and someone makes an apology.
What does that really mean - will she be able to have children and a normal relationship as a female?
Yes my heart does go out to her, Watching the children grow it is one of the first things that you learn - babies don't really understand what sex they are till they are about 4 and then you're destined or channelled into Barbie or Thomas.