Pat Griffin's LGBT Sport Blog: Are the new Olympic Committee rules for women fair and balanced?
When is normal ever abnormal?
Pat Griffin - Professor Emerita, UMass, Amherst
April 26th, 2011
http://www.sdgln.com/health/2011/04/26/pat-griffins-lgbt-sport-blog-are-new-olympic-committee-rules-women-fair-and-balancOn April 5 the International Olympic Committee released new rules for determining whether or not women who have higher than usual levels of naturally-produced testosterone will be eligible to compete in women's sports.
Though the IOC denies it, it seems likely that this clarification is motivated by the embarrassing and shameful handling of the challenge to South African runner, Caster Semenya, two years ago at the World Championships.
The new rules, which will be in place for the London Olympics in 2012, state that a "panel of independent medical experts" will examine any woman found through a blood test to have "hyperandrogenism" and then make a recommendation about whether she should be eligible to compete.