LEGALITY OF HYPERANDROGENISM REGULATIONS IN SPORTS
INTRODUCTION
“Sports are not a level playing field. They never will be”.
Differences in testosterone, explicitly elevated levels of testosterone among female athletes, have been a focus of debate in the Olympics for many epochs, with officials stating concerns that it could arrange for an unfair advantage.
Each contender fluctuates in a multitude of ways, including height, weight, age and proportion. There are also metamorphoses in less-visible characteristics such as lung capacity, recovery rates and even hormone levels, with this changeability generally accepted as a standard part of sporting culture. In sports the issue centers on verifying the eligibility of an athlete to compete in an
…show more content…
The symptoms of hyperandrogenism are usually most effectively treated with antiandrogens. There is some dispute over whether hyperandrogenism provides an unfair advantage in athletics.
Hyperandrogenism Regulations in Sports
Hyperandrogenism regulations came when Caster Semenya, an 18-yr-old woman from South Africa competed at Berlin International Association of Athletic Federation (herein after referred as IAAF) Track Championship in 2009, where she won the 800 meters with 1:56.72. A few hours after the race, the IAAF commenced an investigation on her gender and stated that the ‘incredible improvement in the athlete’s performance’ prompted the investigation and linked her improvement ‘the sort of dramatic breakthroughs that usually arouse suspicion of drug abuse’.
Thus, in 2010, the IAAF and International Olympic committee (herein after referred as IOC) formed expert committees to go over and make recommendations regarding the enclosure of women with Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD) or hyperandrogenism in International Competitions without denting fairness and while respecting individual rights and privacy. The new IAAF policy was released in May