When the Olympics Wants You to Take Drugs

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Aug 1, 2024

The podcast dives into the intense struggles female athletes face regarding gender eligibility in sports. It spotlights Christine Mboma, who must decide whether to alter her body or abandon her Olympic dreams. The discussion reveals the historical challenges of women's participation in the Olympics and the ethical dilemmas posed by new testosterone regulations. As the narrative unfolds, it captures the emotional journeys of these athletes navigating identity, acceptance, and fierce competition for a chance at gold.

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ANECDOTE

Christine Mboma's Rise

Christine Mboma, a 21-year-old Namibian, is a world-class sprinter.
She won an Olympic silver medal at just 18, becoming a national hero.

ANECDOTE

Finding Solace in Sport

Christine's athletic journey began after her mother's death when she was 13.
Running became her solace, helping her cope with stress and depression.

ANECDOTE

Discovering a Star

Initially, Christine's coach, Henk Bota, underestimated her potential.
However, after her first training session, he recognized her exceptional talent.

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Since the beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women’s category. So this week, we're sharing an episode of a new podcast we love, called Tested. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women because of their biology. As they work toward the Olympics, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight. This episode asks: Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? You’ll meet runner Christine Mboma and hear about the difficult choice she faces.

Find more episodes of Tested at https://link.chtbl.com/XReiimtO

Tested is from CBC, NPR’s Embedded, and Bucket of Eels. The show is written, reported, and hosted by Rose Eveleth.

Editing by Alison MacAdam and Veronica Simmonds. Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman, Andrew Mambo, and Rhaina Cohen. Additional reporting, producing, and editing by Lisa Pollak. Sound design by Mitra Kaboli. Our production manager is Michael Kamel. Anna Ashitey is our digital producer. This series was mixed by Robert Rodriguez. Fact checking by Dania Suleman. Our intersex script consultant is Hans Lindahl. Archival research by Hillary Dann. Legal support from Beverly Davis. Mixed for Science Vs by Bobby Lord.

Special thanks to Yeezir for letting us use his song Silent Hero, and Keith Houston, Amir Nakhjavani, and Damon Papadopoulos. French translation by Vanessa Nicolai. Special thanks also to CBC Licensing. Additional audio from World Athletics and Warner Brothers.

At CBC, Chris Oke and Cesil Fernandes are Executive Producers, Tanya Springer is the Senior Manager, and Arif Noorani is the Director of CBC Podcasts.

At NPR, Katie Simon is Supervising Editor for Embedded. Irene Noguchi is Executive Producer. NPR’s senior vice president for podcasting is Collin Campbell. We got legal support from Micah Ratner. And thanks to NPR’s Managing Editor for Standards and Practices, Tony Cavin.

This series was created with support from a New America fellowship.

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