Kenyan sprinter Maximila Imali, affected by DSD policies, fights regulations in court. The podcast explores the history of sex testing in sports, genetic research impact, and the controversy over gender verification tests, highlighting the challenges faced by female athletes.
DSD athletes like Maximila Imali face discriminatory regulations in sports.
There has been historical pushback against gender verification testing in athletics.
Deep dives
The Kip Kano Classic: Christine Mobamba's Injury and Shelly Ann Fraser Price's Victory
At the Kip Kano Classic, Christine Mobamba, a rising star in world athletics and silver medalist, faced a devastating injury during the 100-meter race, ending her season due to a pulled hip flexor. Meanwhile, Shelly Ann Fraser Price achieved one of the fastest times in history, receiving little recognition apart from Christine's injury. This event showcased the highs and lows of track and field, where success and setbacks can happen swiftly.
Maximila Imali: A DSD Athlete's Struggle Against World Athletics Regulations
Maximila Imali, another athlete at the Kip Kano Classic and Kenya's national record holder for 100 and 200 meters, faces challenges as a DSD (difference of sex development) athlete. In a sport where regulations require lowering testosterone levels, Maximila, unlike Christine Mobamba, chooses to fight against these rules instead of altering her body.
The History of Gender Verification Testing in Sports: From Bar Body Tests to Resistance
The podcast delves into the historical context of gender verification testing in sports, tracing its roots from bar body tests in the 1960s to the eventual pushback and abolition of these tests by 1999. The discriminatory nature of these tests, including the case of Spanish hurdler Maria Jose Martinez Patino, shed light on the injustices faced by athletes due to flawed gender verification policies.
Continued Struggle Against Sex Testing: Reappearance of Gender Verification and Athletes' Resistance
After a decade of gender verification hiatus, sex testing reemerged in 2009, causing controversies and doubts about the gender of certain athletes. The podcast highlights ongoing challenges in gender verification testing and athletes' resistance against being subjected to discriminatory and invasive testing procedures.
Episode 3: We meet Kenyan sprinter Maximila Imali, who—like Christine Mboma—has been sidelined by DSD policies. She makes a different choice from Christine: to fight the regulations in court. And we learn about a previous fight, when scientists, athletes, and journalists spent thirty years trying to end an earlier version of sex testing.
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