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Semanya - man or woman?
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Fatima Whitbread goes to the docs
FW - "I'm worried about all this hair on my chest"
Doc - "How far does it go?"
FW - "all the way to my bollocks"
I think with Kratochvilova,Flo Jo and numerous Eastern European throwers of the '70's and '80's (who still dominate all the top places in the World Record lists)their definite male characteristics were probably the result of steroids/testostrerone etc.In those days drug taking in elite athletics was rife and there was no serious testing done.
The difference with Semenya and probably Mutola is that their male characteristics appear to be natural,in the sense that they were born that way.
Either way,it gives them a definite advantage over more "normal"female athletes and Semenya may go on to decimate every women's record in the book between 400 and 3000 metres over the next few years.
Sometimes there are arbitary rules about what constitutes 'natural', eg in cycling there is a maximum permitted level of haemotocrit (amount of red blood cells) and anything over this level is deemed to be cheating. I had a friend who was a national champion at indoor rowing and his haemotocrit level was over the limit so if he'd entered a cycling event he could have been thrown out. But his was just a natural amount (as far as I know!). Imagine if they had a similar rule about womens' testosterone?
There is also an arbitrary rule about how fast you can leave the blocks in a sprint race. If you do it in under 0.1 secs you cheated.
Nam, what you were saying about stereotypes... none of these athletes look like Barbie! Some look more feminine than others, which is a reflection of women in general. They ALL have very muscley bodies - some more than others.
Some women do bulk up easily. I do.
When I was 18 - 20 I used to go to the gym a lot and work out with weights and without even trying I got very ripped. At the time I had polycystic ovaries which messes up your hormones. If I had been working out like an athlete I may too have looked like that. But I can assure you I am all laydee (and a lot smaller now I have put down the weights and sorted out the ovaries)
Also, muscles do look more defined on black skin.
Edit - Aitch, look at the sprinters though, they have no waist and very small hips.
Got rid of them, but I am still a laydee, I am, promise
oops the 5o'clock shadow is showing
I know, you can't help it when someone says someone may be a man. Bit like Lady Gaga.
Go Jenny!!!! Well done!!!!!
Mistaken for a tom cat...
Of course, when I turned round and he saw my wizened face....
Lady Gaga may have a winkie
show us yer pussy then
As a child I had short cropped hair, by brother had lovely blonde curls. Stood outside the bank, minding hiom in the pushchair and some old fogey who probably couldn't see her hand in front of her face comes along and says, "There's a good boy, looking after your sister".
Most certainly not mistaken for a boy now - I've got a pony tail down to my bum and curves in all the right places - OK they're a bit too convex in places, but they're curves!
Still, must be a dreadful experience for her and surely something that should have been dealt with in a little more privacy and earlier.