Caster Semenya, athlete classification, and fair equality of opportunity in sport.

Journal of Medical Ethics
Sigmund Loland

Abstract

According to the Differences of Sex Development (DSD) Regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Caster Semenya and other athletes with heightened testosterone levels are considered non-eligible for middle distance running races in the women's class. Based on an analysis of fair equality of opportunity in sport, I take a critical look at the Semenya case and at IAAF's DSD Regulations. I distinguish between what I call stable and dynamic inequalities between athletes. Stable inequalities are those that athletes cannot impact or control in any significant way such as inequalities in biological sex, body size and chronological age. Dynamic inequalities, such as inequalities in strength, speed and endurance, or in technical and tactical skills, can be impacted and to a certain extent controlled by athletes. If stable inequalities exert significant and systematic impact on performance, they provide a rationale for classification. If high testosterone level is an inborn, strong and systemic driver of performance development, inequalities in such levels can provide a rationale for classification. As is emphasised by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), this leads to a dilemma of rights: the righ...Continue Reading

References

Jun 15, 2012·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Katrina KarkazisSilvia Camporesi
May 2, 2013·British Journal of Sports Medicine·Yannis PitsiladisAlejandro Lucia
Apr 30, 2014·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Rebecca M Jordan-YoungKatrina Karkazis
Feb 3, 2016·Clinics in Sports Medicine·Silvia Camporesi
Jan 21, 2018·British Journal of Sports Medicine·Peter H SőnksenDankmar Bőhning
Apr 17, 2018·Journal of Sports Sciences·Jonathan Ospina BetancurtCarlos Cordente Martinez
Jul 17, 2018·Endocrine Reviews·David J HandelsmanStephane Bermon
Aug 18, 2018·Journal of Bioethical Inquiry·Katrina Karkazis, Morgan Carpenter
Oct 5, 2018·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·Angelica Lindén Hirschberg

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Citations

Jul 30, 2020·Journal of Medical Ethics·Clare Chambers
Aug 23, 2020·Journal of Medical Ethics·Lynley C Anderson, Taryn Rebecca Knox
May 13, 2021·European Journal of Sport Science·Sigmund Loland
Jun 18, 2021·European Journal of Sport Science·Jim Parry, Irena Martínková
Jun 15, 2021·European Journal of Sport Science·Silvia Camporesi, Mika Hämäläinen
Jul 27, 2021·European Journal of Sport Science·Mike McNameeYves Vanlandewijck
Aug 8, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Kirsten RasmussenHayley Pierce

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