RSS feed for entries
 

 

Fairness in Sport

On the scale of the planet’s problems, the inclusion of male-bodied people in women’s sports is becoming unimportant. The human race will survive if half of it loses its rights. It’s the way we’ve lived for millenia. Not so much fun, but survivable. Climate change, on the other hand, is becoming more and more likely to cause the deaths of some six billion people and bust us down to a level of technology where we have to use outdoor latrines again. So, with some apologies for yammering on about merely ignoring reality, here’s fairness in sport.

This article started it: Paper by 26 academics claims that having transgender women in female sports jeopardises fairness and safety, and calls for IOC [International Olympic Committee] to change its policy on the issue

Let’s look at boxing. Men’s boxing. These are two different categories of boxers. Men who differ this much in muscle mass and weight fight in different classes.

Top: super-welterweight champion in 2018. A boxing weight class that goes up to 160 pounds. Looks like a very fit man who weighs around 150 pounds. Bottom image: welterweight champion in 2022. A weight class that goes up to 147 pounds. Looks like a very fit man who weighs around 150 pounds.

.
This, on the other hand, is women’s swimming. These two people are both defined as women by the National Collegiate Athletics Association and, according to the NCAA, the insignificant difference between them makes no difference if they compete in the same group.

First place, transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas, and second place, Riley Gaines, winners of NCAA competition in 2023. Thomas is a head taller and much broader at the shoulders than Gaines.

.
A flat earther at least has the excuse of believing the evidence of their own eyes.