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Caster Semenya // Posts categorised as Caster Semenya
The Semenya Decision: Full CAS report brief thoughts
The Court of Arbitration have released the full decision in the Caster Semenya case. I share here a few thoughts on how that verdict was reached, and how each side framed the issue a slightly different way to play to their strengths.
Flawed evidence, robust research and scientific integrity in the IAAF’s DSD Regulations
This is a guest post, sort of. Well, it’s a post that was co-authored by myself, along with two other academics – Roger Pielke Jr from the USA and Erik Boye of Norway. You may recall that last year, about this time actually, the three of us tried to look at the data that was […]
On DSDs, the theory of testosterone, performance the CAS ruling on Caster Semenya
The Caster Semenya controversy, or more accurately, the issue of DSDs in women's sport, is the most complex issue ever faced by sport. I share here my views, start to finish, in what I hope is a comprehensive overview of the concepts, the evidence, and the weighting of the factors that led to CAS' decision to support the IAAF regulation.
Letter to BJSM reinforcing call for retraction of IAAF research on testosterone in women
Along with two prominent scientists, we have recently called for the research study on testosterone's effects in women athletes to be retracted. This research is part of the IAAF's policy on hyperandrogenism in athletics, but we have analyzed aspects of the study, and discovered significant and numerous errors. This article describes those errors, and calls for scientific integrity and transparency from both the IAAF and the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Testosterone, performance & intersex athletes: Will the IAAF evidence be enough?
In 2015, the Court of Arbitration set aside an IAAF policy that required female athletes to have a Testosterone level below a cut-off threshold. Now, 2 years later, with the IAAF appeal imminent, new evidence has emerged, with possible implications for athletes like Caster Semenya. But will the IAAF's new evidence be enough. Here's a look at some issues.
The Caster Semenya debate
Caster Semenya won the Monaco 800m in 1:55.33, at a canter, and is the surest bet for gold in Rio 2016. She's also the surest bet for controversy, and will kick start an explosive, aggressive debate. This post introduces some of the concepts, and addresses some issues around our approach to this difficult issue.
Hyperandrogenism and women vs women vs men in sport: A Q&A with Joanna Harper
Caster Semenya's likely gold medal in Rio is going to be one of the most controversial stories of the Games, if not the history of the Olympics. She is, unwillingly, the known image of a sex-verification controversy in sport, asking questions over whether a woman should compete against other women. In this piece, I interview Joanna Harper, an expert on matters of transgender science and performance, for her comprehensive views
David Rudisha 800m WR and Semenya returns
As mentioned in , David Rudisha of Kenya has broken the 800m World Record. And as promised, here is a video for those who might have missed it! So yesterday I wrote about the importance of that first lap being around 49 seconds, based on the pacing of the event. I’ll look at that in […]
Caster Semenya cleared? Is this finally the verdict?
It is being reported that Caster Semenya, South Africa’s 800m World Champion, will be given the all clear to return to the track. Before getting carried away at the conclusion of what seemed a never-ending saga, let’s remember that on no fewer than three occasions, the SA government have organized triumphant press conferences only to […]