This chapter discusses the concept of fairness in sports and the biological advantages of genetically gifted athletes like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps. It explores the complexity of gender and argues that sports can never truly be fair due to individual genetic backgrounds. The chapter also raises the question of who should define women's sports.
Who gets to compete as a woman? And who decides whether someone is “woman enough”? When it comes to South African runner Caster Semenya, it could be the European Court of Human Rights. The two-time Olympic gold medalist has been in a legal battle since 2019 with World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field, after it banned her from competing because of her naturally-occurring higher levels of testosterone. She discusses her experience, what labels get wrong and her new book A Race to Be Myself.
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