Stella Walsh's Secret

[Shana A]

http://www.bilerico.com/2008/01/stella_walshs_secret.php

Stella Walsh's Secret
Filed by: Monica Roberts
January 27, 2008 4:00 AM

When the Beijing Olympic Games kick off in August we will hopefully see history made with the first open transgender athlete to win a medal.

Note I said open.

Hall of Fame sprinter Stella Walsh competed in the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games for Poland, and she had a secret.

[Keira]

I don't even know if Stella Walsh would truly be allowed to compete
these days if the male genetalia she had could produced
male level of T which would give a distinct advantage in power events
like the sprint and high jump (the diff in the male and female record
is massive in the high jump, a whole foot!!).

I find it a bit cynical that Stella would be on the side of having a GG
go through a humiliating sex test considering she would fail it
(and as I said, even with today's rule, I think she would still not be
elegible).

Even if they allow Ts to compete, they have to be 3 year post op I believe.

[Jordan]

Yeah I read three years post op too...  Post op for obvious reasons, and three years for safety and health reasons right?

[Keira]

The reason to wait 3 years is to make sure that T's advantage
on the body has disapeered. But, my feeling
is that even after 3 years, if you continue training,
you'd still have an advantage in the power and
strenth field on aven olympic level athletes.


I'm 18 months in and can still put my
elbow to the ceiling of a 8 foot house, which
not many women in the world can do.

[BCL]

I had to wait 2 years to start playing womens competitive sport.

My only advantage now is my height, which Is why I ended up playing First base.

There has been some high profile TS taking part in womens sport for a few years now mainly in Golf and Cycling.

The Canadian Cycling team has 2 MTF TS who if selected will be in Beijing.

Rebecca

[Keira]

Cycling is not a sport where the power component is
all encompassing, except maybe track cycling,
so it would provide an advantage for awhile,
but not too long.

In high jump, the advantage would be incredible.
But, I suppose that there arent't many MTF high jumper,
if any
(its kinda of a marginal activity, tough It as my sport)

Just to show you how incredibly different males and
female performance is in this activity, I could hurdle
(jump from the front, which is very very hard to do at this height)
a high jump bar at 6 foot 3 with a 3 step runup, which
would be enough to qualify for the women's olympic team
and win the national championship.

Women on the national team
needed a complete 10 steps runup and all their technique
to sometimes in peak condition, be able to do the same.


 

[Jordan]

Keira, go get those medals girl...

If you can do a 6foot 3 bar, wow!!

[Keira]

I could do it. In 1983-1987 HAHA.
These days, probably could ONLY do 5 foot  frontal and
6 foot with a full runup. Which is pretty good for a women,
but not national team level.