UCI Passes Regulations to Lower Transgender Athletes’ Maximum Testosterone Threshold
The regulations were proposed after the UCI met with other sporting federations in November. Photo: Matt Wragg.
The UCI has today announced it has passed new regulations to limit the maximum testosterone threshold for transgender athletes competing in cycling.
Transgender athletes who have transitioned from male to female must now ensure their serum testosterone level is below 5 nmol/L, down from 10nmol/L under the old regulations. The athlete must also prove their testosterone level has been below that threshold for at least 12 months before competition.
The regulations were first proposed in November 2019 after the UCI met with a group of International Federations in Lausanne including the International Paralympic Committee, the International Tennis Federation, World Rowing, the International Golf Federation, and the International Association of Athletics Federations. Also in attendance were experts and representatives of transgender and cisgender athletes. The new regulation was passed by the UCI following the meeting of its Management Committee in Dübendorf (Switzerland) on 30 January.
As well as falling below the serum testosterone levels, transgender athletes must also now meet the following criteria:
 | - All transgender athletes wishing to compete in the category corresponding to their new gender must make their request to the medical manager appointed by the UCI, at least six weeks before the date of the first competition. - The athlete’s file will be passed on to a commission of three international experts independent of the UCI. The commission’s members will assess the athlete’s eligibility to compete in the new gender category and will inform the UCI’s medical officer of their conclusions. - The athlete must prove that their serum testosterone level has been below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to the eligibility date. - Once deemed eligible, the athlete must agree to keep their serum testosterone level below 5 nmol/L for the entire time they compete in the Women category. - The athlete must undergo serum testosterone tests conducted using a benchmark method (mass spectrometry). |
Kate Weatherly is a transgender woman who has achieved several strong international results since her transition. She's currently recovering from a broken neck sustained at Mont-Sainte-Anne this year and has confirmed she will not be racing in 2020.
| The adoption of new directives in the UCI Regulations will provide the cycling community as a whole with a clearly defined regulatory framework that applies to everyone. Thanks to this consensus, achieved by a working group representing our sport’s various stakeholders, our Federation has given itself the wherewithal to take into consideration – and in reflection of developments in our society – the desire of transgender athletes to compete, while guaranteeing a level playing field for all competitors. This is an important step in the inclusion of transgender athletes in elite sport. |
The new regulations will come into effect on March 1 2020.
Press Release: UCI
In line with the announcement it made on 4 November 2019, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) approved its new regulations on the eligibility of transgender athletes to compete in events on the UCI International Calendar. The decision was made at the meeting of its Management Committee in Dübendorf (Switzerland) on 30 January.
The new regulations, which will come into effect on 1 March 2020, are designed to encourage transgender athletes to compete in the category corresponding to their new gender, while guaranteeing a level playing field for all athletes in the competitions in question.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Up until then, the eligibility criteria for competing in the corresponding gender-identity category were those agreed on at a consensus meeting organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2015. The provision of new scientific knowledge led to those eligibility criteria being reviewed – in particular for male-to-female athletes – at a working meeting held in Lausanne on 19 October 2019, and which was attended by the UCI, other International Federations, experts and representatives of transgender and cisgender athletes. As part of the new consensus, it is agreed that if a Federation decides to use testosterone as an indicator, the transgender athlete will only be eligible to compete in the Women category if their serum testosterone level is below 5 nmol/L.
What is the eligibility procedure?
- All transgender athletes wishing to compete in the category corresponding to their new gender must make their request to the medical manager appointed by the UCI, at least six weeks before the date of the first competition.
- The athlete’s file will be passed on to a commission of three international experts independent of the UCI. The commission’s members will assess the athlete’s eligibility to compete in the new gender category and will inform the UCI’s medical officer of their conclusions.
- The athlete must prove that their serum testosterone level has been below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to the eligibility date.
- Once deemed eligible, the athlete must agree to keep their serum testosterone level below 5 nmol/L for the entire time they compete in the Women category.
- The athlete must undergo serum testosterone tests conducted using a benchmark method (mass spectrometry).
Once their eligibility to compete has been confirmed, the UCI’s medical manager will be responsible for ensuring the athlete complies with the eligibility regulations throughout their sporting career. Should they fail to do so, the medical manager may choose to suspend their eligibility to compete until such time as the athlete proves that they are able to comply with the criteria again.
In the event of any breach of the regulations, a penalty system shall come into effect. Penalties shall range from a mere reprimand and warning to disqualification and a fine.
The UCI has asked its National Federations to include these new directives in their regulations.
The debates about transgender athletes, inclusion, and fairness are complex. As these conversations unfold, please remember that there are other people at the end of your words. We expect the comments on Pinkbike to be respectful and constructive.
Specifically, please don’t violate our terms of use, which state that any hate speech or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Transgender advocates, social media platforms, and other media companies consider misgendering and ‘deadnaming’ (using someone’s former name) as slurs and personal attacks.
The aim is not to censor conversations or ideas, but just like other slurs and personal attacks, misgendering and deadnaming are not welcome on our platform. Violations of Pinkbike’s terms of use may result in comment deletions, suspensions, or bans. Any harassment, bullying, or incitements to violence will result in lifetime bans from the site.
Specifically, please don’t violate our terms of use, which state that any hate speech or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Transgender advocates, social media platforms, and other media companies consider misgendering and ‘deadnaming’ (using someone’s former name) as slurs and personal attacks.
The aim is not to censor conversations or ideas, but just like other slurs and personal attacks, misgendering and deadnaming are not welcome on our platform. Violations of Pinkbike’s terms of use may result in comment deletions, suspensions, or bans. Any harassment, bullying, or incitements to violence will result in lifetime bans from the site.
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I find it conflicting because I do believe transgender people have a right to compete. I just don't see in what category they can do that without being unfair to either women, or themselves (if they would compete with men).
A seperate category would be the answer, but there aren't enough transgender atletes to fill these category.
I think transgender people who want to compete, should be honest with themselves. Do you really need to have it all?
Yes they are a very small minority. But that minority, just because small, does have their rights just like we all do. They face a struggle and I think they deserve our empathy and compassion. But that doens't mean we can't be critical and say the things as they are.
Link to that research?
To me it's really peculiar how less than 4% of the population receives so much attention. But you seem like an aright sort of person so it's likely we'd both just be decent to whoever as long as whoever was decent to us.
Doubt she's interested in riding a bike ????
Those "????" are a
My point was that if people hadn't been so quick to champion the transgender victim in their imaginations, we wouldn't have men competing in women's events in the name of acceptance.
So I think you're right, and even if you think I'm wrong, I still think you're right.
The curious thing about transgender-ism (to me a least) is that it only takes about 5 minutes of thinking about it to realise the undeniable conclusion; Transgender-ism is less about individuals being "born in the wrong body" and more about maximising the number of available sexual partners they can chooose from. It's a dishonest concept from the outset.
I understand this is not a very charitable opinion to hold (And no, I'm not suggesting they are promoiscuous, only that they have taken what all humans do inherently to an extreme and- in all likelyhood, dangerous- degree), but it is nevertheless honestly held. I don't believe it's a conscious decision on their part either, at least ot among the majority, but it should be exceedingly obvious to even the most uninitiated that concepts of gender-identity are fundamentally driven by sexuality and increasing one's sexual (and concurrently social) currency with their desired partners, and next to nothing to do with their identity and sense of self.
Working from that perspective we can then postulate why formerly-male individuals seek to dominate in women's sport; One way the male mind seeks status is through competition. Beating women therefore increases their status in the eyes of their desired potential partners (or so the theory goes).
There's no way a separate transgender category will ever come to fruition, because it entirely defeats the purpose of transitioning, and that will never fly. Our weak politicians will forever and a day cow-tow to minority interest groups that throw tantrums to get their way. Besides, the precedent has already been set (Let that be a lesson on knee-jerk decisions kids). The necessary research to make a full assessment of their advantages (and disadvantages) will never be allowed either, not because academic ethical approvals are so limiting but because the lists of permitted subjects for discusssion and informed debate are being eroded almost daily.
TL
I've heard all sorts about that cognitive impairment juice known as woke though. That shit'll make you believe annnyyything.
I'm simply pointing that out that I've come to understand that transexual-ism is a consequence of sexuality, and does not strictly arise from a conflict between a person's biological sex and their perception of themselves. Of course their perception of themselves is fundamental to the issue at heart, but I digress. I didn't say anything that should or could be understood to mean I don't think you should live as you choose, with the usual, trite caveat "as long as you're not hurting anyone" etc. And while most things in life are not segregated by sex (thankfully), in sport it is an important distinction in the classification of athletes. There's no getting around the common sense notion that by and large men have a greater physical capacity than women, and therefore have advantages in the competitive arena, so they should not compete directly against one another. The same goes for medically-neutered-but-otherwise-male athletes. It's not fair on women to be denied their victories and success by someone who shouldn't technically be allowed to compete against them, but nevertheless does because it was politically convenient. I predict this recent change will only be the start of a series of reversals in the hastily-enacted regulations to accomodate transgender athletes.
This debate would not be happening if it wasn't for the patriarchal structure of our society and culture.
End the debate. End the sexist gender classes. One open class to find the best athlete.
Your post was misleading, with "Out of the box thought".It's not, but rather a bid for something that is absurd.
It's not a debate, just you and people alike insist it is, propagating a minority scheme and force feeding into the face of society in order to alter the state of ethics, thus, closing your statement with the proposition to do so.
But If you’re Transgendered that means you give up your pursuit of world-level athletic aspirations that have been delineated by gender since time immemorial.
What do you need to prove??
Thing is, as of now, UCI allows trans men to compete in men category without restrictions (this is an official statement). We can't really be sure if there aren't any trans men on the circuit, nobody in their right senses (and I mean trans people who happen to suffer from this condition and just want to live their lives in peace) would out themselves. I as hell wouldn't and nobody would even suspect I am trans.
We are all humans. That’s what we keep getting told by the media. To me, there is a huge double standard in place whereby traditionally male dominated activities (going to work being the main one) are being forcefully redressed to ensure 50:50 male to female participation, but for some reason in sport it doesn’t apply. To say that women need a separate class is disingenuous. The top women could beat the bottom 75% of men in pretty much any sport. One open class solves the problem of genderism and trangenderism in sport. No need to have categories to give certain favoured groups a chance to win.
If we have an open class, all that will happen is that 100% of women and transgender athletes will have to swallow the same pill that 99% of men already have to swallow. Accept they have no chance of winning at sports and entertainment (which is what MTB racing is) and move on.
Other than that, you make good points.
...
If we are going to go done the path of creating a special class for every ability level or handicap, however you want to describe it; then why stop at six? We could have
Senior men
Senior women
Senior trans athletes (M-F)
Senior trans athletes (F-M)
Junior men
Junior women
Junior trans (M-F)
Junior trans (F-M)
Fat men
Fat women
Skinny men
Skinny women
Short sighted men
Short sighted women
Short sighted trans (M-F)
Short sighted trans (F-M)
Fat trans (M-F)
Fat trans (F-M)
Skinny trans (M-F)
Skinny trans (F-M)
Asthmatic men
Asthmatic women
Asthmatic junior men
Asthmatic junior women
Asthmatic trans junior men
Asthmatic trans junior women
Asthmatic trans men
Asthmatic trans women
Diabetic men
Diabetic women
Etc etc etc....
There are plenty of physical conditions that are a lot more widespread than trans and that are universally accepted as having a negative effwct on athletic performance.
Most would accept that splitting the field into the categories I suggest would be absurd. But for some reason, the same people probably think that we should absolutely defend tje segregation of female athletes into their own category. Why? Ask yourself what the difference is, and why there is the common acceptance of the concept that women (who by virtue of being female have a lower level of athletic prowess than men) should be allowed their own competitive category, but that men with some physical characteristic that inhibits their athletic prowess should accept it and move on.
I think they’re right. If you don’t have what it takes you should move on. And the same should apply to anyone. Females, trans, asthmatics, myopics, kids, the elderly.
What we need is fewer categories, not more.
Can you imagine the UCI introducing a trans category at the world championships? It’s hard enough getting more than a handful of riders in the junior women. Are they going to award a full blown senior world championship gold medal to someone who only beat one other competitor? And if they do, will they be happy to have devalued the currency in such a way?
There are age categories as well. Those seem to be for developmental reasons as well as an observable trend in performance with age.
I agree with you about fewer categories.
a) Female
b) "Open Testosterone" Male
The female category only allows biological females who are not undergoing any type of hormone treatments unless it is for estrogen replacement (say there is a master level female going through menopause).
The "Open Testosterone male" category allows biological males not undergoing any type of hormone treatments, biological females taking testosterone, and biological males taking estrogen.
These 2 categories ALLOWS anyone to compete, which seems to be one of the argument that a transgender should be allowed to compete.
What this also does is takes away the "advantage" that a male transitioning to compete in a female category has for a variety of reasons. Just seems odd to me that the male transitioning to female should essentially be given the "advantage" aspect vs. having to compete against other males. Then who cares what the testosterone level is so long as their is a "maximum" acceptable testosterone level allowed in competition to avoid genetic males from doping up on excessive testosterone..
Of course I know male/female competitive segregation is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
I just wanted to point out the ridiculousness of the whole thing in terms of the double standards in place.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=mGz8k5bGjcs&feature=youtu.be
BUT. It's not because you face a struggle in a certain domain in your life, you deserve a free pass in another. Life doesn't work like that, for no one.
(if we do the math, .06% of society might identify as transgender, I bet the same number identify as a squirrel. From there, a very small portion compete at anything at all, from there the cyclists......). So, we are all suppose to cater to a fraction of a fraction? No, I sure wont.
There is no 'the' left and 'the' right. (maybe on facebook there is)
*for the purposes of what i was referring to: 'womens rights' = the left. 'transgender rights' = the left. 'transgender rights riding roughshod over womens rights' = the left eating itself.
Right = shut up your f*g, you don't belong here.
Nice vision of the world, pal.
Pick a team follow and root for it no matter the issue.
The fact that i can identify people who seek to interject right or left wing rhetoric into every post they make such as Roadstain doesn't put me in any category.
I dont think transgender should be competing against women.
But then i am for medicare for all and getting money out of politics.
Ill not be brainwashed by one side or the other.
with regards to medicare for all, would you agree its a complex situation of liabilities and freedoms, in the respect that once i am paying for someone elses medical care maybe i should have some say in whether they actually look after themselves? i'm from england. its a problem here. people want the freedom to eat/drink/sit their way to poor health AND the security that someone else will pay to pick up the pieces. the reality is you cannot have freedom and security. regardless of the topic at hand. for example, you cannot have the freedom of riding with armour and the security of riding with armour.
We have a problem.
4 people in the Walton family have more wealth then 50% of our country.
Yet they just got billions in tax cuts.
So cry me a river about fat people on the couch.
As a side note i dont have health insurance but i am in good health and have not been to an doctor in 20 years.
And lastly to completely destroy your argument you will always pay for those fat people on the couch.
We pay in the usa $300-$1000 or more a month for health insurance and then still have to pay a deductible out of pocket if we actually need a doctor.
The more unhealthy people on insurance the more we pay.
Fat people on the couch.
Sorry about the destroy arguments part of it.
You stated something about social health care which is a hot topic over here.
And i stated you will always pay for the fat people on the couch.
You are free to point out the part i was wrong about.
Or you can just go have a nice day.
also, you make out like social welfare/healthcare (our NHS) is not a hot topic over here. i do agree, your system of insurance and medicare sounds like an absolute clusterf*ck, but you can't pretend you're the only country with issues surrounding the collection/distribution of resources.
Thanks for putting some thought into your response.
Society will always have problems with distribution of resources but it can be better and we should try to do better.
As far as paying for other peoples health care..
Well my house isn't on fire yet i pay for fire services to put out peoples houses that are on fire. Why should i pay?
Should we make the fire department private? They come to your house its on fire the fireman says " im gonna need $99.99 to out this fire out".
personally i think we should all stop arguing between ourselves about silly things, gang up, f*ck off the private bankers and install a system where the gargantuan profits circulating in the banking sector and central banking system are chopped down by say 90-95% percent and we use that money to pay for roads, schools, fire service, healthcare, transport and free coffee. and spend the change on bike lanes and bike trails. but thats because i don't personally think families like the Waltons, who sell products to willing consumers, are the real issue in wealth disparity.
i can but dream eh. in my dream, we start by hanging Macron. just because he doesn't even try to hide the fact he's a shady bast*rd.
I've spent enough time on pb today I'll sign off on this high note and go ride my bike.
i don't think the waltons are idols, but they built a business selling products that nobody was forced to buy.
BTW would be interesting to see a comparison of costs paid by an average citizen in a country with 1. public health care like in Europe + individual costs when you want something extra or quicker 2. Private medical insurance + costs not covered by insurance, like in the US? And the resulting overall population health (would surely differ by country even within categories, but you get the idea)
Surely someone did this already but I'm too lazy to search
Probably somewhere between 6000 and 8000pts per game. Seems fair and reasonable to me.
That was posted last time around and I listened to it to help understand where things are currently and a woman’s perspective on the topic as it it wouldn’t affect my race cat. They do a good job of summing up the genetic differences and how hormone therapy does/ does not cause those to degrade. Just so a million people don’t ask or make assumptions.
Why isn't their performance plummeting? Could it be... there's something else related to being male that allows for higher performance other than just T? Something not taken away by simply taking estrogen? Seems likely.
Keep in mind the normal testosterone for males is 10.5-34 nmol/L! For women it's 0.52-2.43, so a 5nmol limit still allows them to be above the typical range for women.
Sounds like Handmaids Tale...
Testosterone is simply the stronger hormone meaning in smaller amounts it's doing more drastic changes to the body then the other way around.
In most cases estrogen alone is also never enough to surpress testosterone production on its own. Most transwomen take t-blockers which block receptors and testosterone production.
A TERF is a woke term invented by anti-fact morons.
Bottom line, raising or lowering testosterone has an effect on performance. But lowering it DOES NOT create an equal playing field between XY individuals who went through puberty and XX individuals.
2017 (Before Transitioning): Best result in Open (not elite) men (NZ national race) - 5/23 beating 82% of the open men with a time that would have had her in 13th out of 17 elite men. Most of her other races were more in the 8-17th placement.
Yes, you can look at older results as well and notice that they were no better. www.rootsandrain.com/rider54373/anton-weatherly/results
2018: (Elite women) Won every single NZ National race including National Champs
2019: (Elite women) won every national race she competed including national champs, 2nd at rotorua crankworx, top 10 at every world cup she competed in including 1 podium.
www.rootsandrain.com/rider136238/kate-weatherly/results
Kate was a middle-pack racer on the NZ circuit. She then transitioned and is suddenly a top 10 racer on the world cup. But people truly think there is no advantage? This is not bigotted or transphobic, this is me stating my opinion that I think it is completely unfair to the women racers out there.
Im unsure of the numbers of Trans athletes there are in DH, but if numbers grow (which is great and hopefully does), a new category should be looked into. Not a transphobe btw.. just saying.
You are special.
"David Perry"
"I'm gonna roooollll up the other women here, and I'm gonna smoke em!"
Right to work state....GONE (he/she has since moved to a very liberal city in a state known for criminal corruption). He/she should fit in well.
The fact is, is he was identifying as a she, he/she should have interviewed as a she. The reality is however, people just LOVE to play the victim card and chance they get. It really is pathetic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3UjxGvTCBY
See that's the whole problem with the right.
Black person does something wrong..hate all black people.
Jew does something wrong.. kill them all.
Crazy woman on the bus starts a fight with the male bus driver and gets knocked out by him.. feminist's get their wish. (An actual youtube channel i saw a former friend watching after he had begun his decent into the black hole of rightwingism).
Label them group them up and hate the whole lot.
Fascism gotta love it.
Who can I sue....this intolerance must be stopped!
Just like your hero Ben shapiro you like creating straw men and knocking them down.
It’s not so simple. The UCI has to make a stand somewhere. The real question is, is the standard going to change every season?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=stUl_OapUso
anyway, what they are talking about is totally different from men knowingly transitioning to female because they feel like it, they are genetic abnormalities and totally different to transgender folk.
I could find shit quotes from the fat orange clown for days and days.
Make trans athletes compete in their original categories
Have one category for all genders and let everyone compete together (hardly ideal for female competitors)
If you look at the time difference between Elite level women and Elite level men at world champs, the women's winner would have been in 59th position in the men's category. That means that a transitioning male rider from the lower ranks could essentially dominate the women's field which again seems unfair and unsporting for the women who have trained so hard. Unless the top women get to the times of the top men then it seems more unfair to let trans athletes compete than it it does not to.
Rambling over.
This issue becomes a lot more hairy when thinking about state-sponsored doping systems, however. This isn't a problem right now but it would be negligent not to think about future problems.
Trans need their own class to compete in. Once an individual is born a male, the physiology is vastly different from a female, larger skeletal structure and larger denser musculature to name the most obvious. These attributes cannot be reversed.
Simply unfair. Simply wrong. IMO something quite nefarious is at play here.
There are thousands of differences between men and women which begin in human development as testosterone acts on the fetus. Most of these differences are tiny when looked at discretely, but very significant when aggregated into a adult male or adult female.
It's a joke to think playing with hormone levels could ever create a level-playing field.
XX limited class: XX chromosome only, genetic and drug testing in place
XY limited class: XY chromosome only, genetic and drug testing in place
UNLIMITED class: Do whatever the eff you want. Seriously. No testing, free for all, all performance enhancements allowed. Want to shoot up some bull semen and install cyborg legs? Sounds good, I'd watch that race.
"Normal measurements for these tests:
Male: 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) or 10.41 to 34.70 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)
Female: 15 to 70 ng/dL or 0.52 to 2.43 nmol/L
The examples above are common measurements for results for these tests. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories."
If you take the EPO analogy of hematocrit level rules, it is in theory not illegal to cheat, it is illegal to be above a 50% level or whatever it is. Also in theory, it is the elite athlete's job to be as high as possible without going over.
So, with the new rules, is it the job of the elite women to be as close to 5nmol/L as possible (double natural norm) if this can give a performance advantage? I would think so, if just a little more muscle mass prevented injury, if just a little more muscle mass allowed for a better sprint, if just a little more...
Also, there is a place for being concerned about the nature of competition. This discussion does not need to include the hate and vitriol found here.
There definitely is a solution to all of this. But it's not as easy as: "Let's look at the athlete's blood work 6 weeks before the race to determine if they have an unfair advantage."
wonder if she was world class as a male cyclist before transitioning?
I have total respect for the decision to transition etc... but, if were to become a transwoman, I would still feel that I am cheating in any sport/competition I chose to enter against born women, and I would much more prefer to enter men category and lose, than enter women and win/placebetterbecauseofmynature
We are biologically a binary species. A simple A and B when we get to brass tacks but that's where it ends. To find a simple, all encompassing solution to the inclusion of trans, and non gender people, involves a very careful and sensitive approach.
There are distinct advantages to male bodies over females, not just testosterone - ligament placement and small variations in bone structure just two minor details that can have significant effects on performance.
And whilst I get the whole they "can't have their cake and eat it" sentiment that's not entirely fair. And I certainly don't think a mean decides he want to become a woman just to 'cheat'. Was it fair that he/she was born a man/woman and so must be denied the opportunities and benefits of those who were fortunately to be born comfortably in their own skin? But that's okay, because 99.99% of us here have never experienced the physiological and emotion strain of what a trans individual goes though minute by minute.
We must find a solution but I think we may need to look at the bigger picture rather than trying to frame it into a A/B system that is no longer adequate.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/beyond-xx-and-xy-the-extraordinary-complexity-of-sex-determination
Easy, identify as female!
www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/videos/404459456890617/?v=404459456890617&external_log_id=ccab981ef988cb0ccf737e05423d77f4&q=transgender%20athlete
Do something more to protect womans cycling!
Unless I'm missing a greater issue here?
"
The athlete must prove that their serum testosterone level has been below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to the eligibility date.
"
Maybe transsexuals or at least competitive transsexual athletes already keep track of their testosterone levels in way that is deemed solid enough to serve as proof. But otherwise these athletes are screwed. The regulations have only been proposed in November last year and only just passed. If they want to compete in March this year then they should at least have proof of their testosterone levels since March last year. Were they already aware of that back then. Now I recall Kate commented here in the comment section that her levels were way below the 10nmol/L and probably also way below the current 5nmol/L limit so probably it isn't that much of an issue. But to me it seems like a massive bummer if an athlete has risen a smidge above the 5nmol/L level last year which didn't seem like an issue back then but suddenly puts her out of competition, with all preparation (training, sponsors, logistic, gear) already sorted. The stricter regulations are probably fair but the timing really sucks. It is like requiring a larger number of UCI points collected in order to compete. It may not be an issue for the top athletes and if you report so timely it is all fair enough. But to so almost halfway Februari is just too late.
If high testosterone is what gives them the edge then I dont think its fair to included women with higher levels than most other women.
Do we make that little girl run events by herself? At what point do we say "whoa whoa whoa, you're too good, we need to check your testosterone levels." and how do you break it to a now woman "oh wait, turns out your intersex and you cant compete unless you take these testosterone blockers. If you don't, you can't run or play this thing you love."
It's essentially handicapping a perfectly healthy individual. If we're going to set testosterone limits, maybe we should do it for men too. Maybe we need weight minimum and maximums, or height restrictions. While we're at it, I'd like it if everyone could carry around an extra 100lbs so I'll have a fighting chance in WCXC.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/beyond-xx-and-xy-the-extraordinary-complexity-of-sex-determination
www.youtube.com/watch?v=stUl_OapUso
The runner Caster Semenya has an intersex condition. You can look up what rules she has to follow, imposed by the Olympic committee. The UCI, in my understanding, takes the lead from them.
apnews.com/543c78d943144874a661f31e88c1f8e6
here watch this and educate yourself.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzg9QtQelR8
it's from an actual scientist not an activist or twitter personality.
Pretty damn hateful speech too, implying that a man would transition, lower their testosterone levels to almost none, just to win a few races against women. Which would mean exactly what to them, if they didn't make that a permanent decision?
The level of empathy for people going through that is is pathetic. Get outside of your little mind, meet someone who is transitioning in either direction and get to know them.