Debate–mostly passionate, often heated and sometimes vitrolic–continues in both Canada and around the world over a ruling last week at the Court of Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland that rejected two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya’s appeal against the introduction of new rules regulating the testosterone levels for athletes with a difference in sex development.
Repercussions abound.
Mention Semenya, you will get no shortage of opinion
For some, she’s been hard-done-by.
South Africa’s Caster Semenya won the women’s 800-metre race at the Diamond League event in Doha, Qatar last Friday, the final meet before new testosterone rules designed to limit athletes like Semenya with “intersex” conditions take effect, Semenya was asked if she plans to take medication to comply with the IAAF’s new rules. Her reply: “Hell no.” (Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press)
For others, the ruling simply opens the door to fair play for other female athletes.
In ruling against the two-time 800-metres Olympic champion, even the court admitted that while the International Association of Athletics Federations’ rules are discriminatory “such discrimination is a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means” of “preserving the integrity to females athletes.”
Is this all about human rights, fair play, equal opportunity or something else?
For some perspective I contacted long-time friend of RCI Bruce Dowbiggin at his home in Calgary.
An author, journalist and broadcaster, Dowbiggin is the host of the website Not The Public Broadcaster.
I asked him about some of the repercussions and how they might affect Canadian athletes.
Listen
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