Caster Semenya

It is both irrational and immoral to ban miss Semenya from running unless she takes medicine that reduces her naturally "high" level of testosterone in her blood. She has been proven to be woman both genetically and physically. The scientific evidence is in her favour. She is not cheating.

All of us have varying levels of both oestrogen and testosterone in are blood and if a natural higher level of testosterone gives an athlete an advantage - then so what. Longer legs give jumpers and advantage. There is no doubt that being tall gave Usain Bolt an advantage. Bolt rarely got beaten; is anyone suggesting that he should have been handicapped to level the field? No one tries to ban men with naturally occurring high levels of testosterone; so why should women?

It would seem that miss Semenya's times come no where near to challenging the times of the elite men in the same events. Why therefore should she be banned fro female competition? There is little evidence to suggest that other female athletes are withdrawing from competition against her. It also seems that male sprinters were not driven out of the the sprinting events because of Bolt's dominance. They just strove harder to compete.

The IAAF and CAS have done their best to eliminating cheating in their sport from athletes using performance enhancing drugs. It is now ironic that they should prevent some athletes from competing unless they take performance reducing drugs. Surely this is both irrational and immoral. Medicine should not be driven to the the cause of administrating unnecessary and possibly damaging treatment.

It is time for a rethink based upon science, evidence and common sense. Miss Semenya should be allowed to run without medical treatment for a condition that does no harm to her or her sport.

https://theconversation.com/caster-semenyas-impossible-situation-testosterone-gets-special-scrutiny-but-doesnt-necessarily-make-her-faster-116407