Poll: She's a man or atleast part.

[fix-the-spade]

Well, that solves that.

I mean, they're athletes.
They're taking steroids.
Period.

I find your lack of faith... disturbing.

That's more than a little cynical Max, not that it's surprising at all, but still. It's kind of unfair on the ones that don't huff drugs to compete, this isn't pro road cyling we're talking about...
Besides, if they're all doing drugs, so's s/he, so they need to find another way of making back the advantage.
Rocket boots incoming!

 

[EclipseoftheDarkSun]

This person presumably has AIS - androgen insensitivity syndrome, so is technically a man who didn't respond to the high levels of testosterone produced by the testes and so didn't develop externally as a man (if the cells that would go on to develop into the penis/vagina don't respond to/come in contact with testosterone, they default to a vagina. Unfortunately even though externally they appear to be a woman, they don't have ovaries or a womb and don't menstruate. It's common, probably less so nowadays, that they have always thought they were a woman, despite their period not occurring - female gymnasts or girls who do excessive levels of sport can miss/have periods delayed so incorrect assumptions were probably made. Anyway, while high levels of testosterone are coursing through this athlete's body, it may or may not be responding to it in terms of muscle development so maybe they have no advantage really..

 

[Hitman 43]

I really don't care.

 

[MikeOfThunder]

The amusing this that I thought this was going to be about 'Lady Gaga'.

Hahaha!! Yeah thats what i thought!

 

[Ophiuchus]

3. missed that one, sorry.

It's a great episode if you're a fan of House, well worth it if you get the chance. Although I guess you'll have an idea of the ending now. Season 2, episode 13, 'Skin Deep'.

As for this runner - yeah, what Frankie Boyle said, as quoted up there somewhere.

 

[Booze Zombie]

If I remember the article right, she/he/it had something like 9 times the level of testosterone present in the average woman. That gives a huge advantage when it comes to physical activities like running. It's kinda like her body produces its own steroids, comparatively. That's where the "fairness" debate comes into play at least.

I thought, generally, testosterone only increased muscle mass by 5%, meaning that males and, apparently, herms, are only stronger than females at birth?

 

[henrebotha]

For God's sake. I feel so sorry for Caster. She's been absolutely tortured by the media.

I don't know what the official rulings on this kind of thing are, but I say follow them. If Olympic guidelines state that she qualifies to race with women, then let her.

 

[EclipseoftheDarkSun]

Boys and girls are usually just as strong, until puberty kicks in and well, similar size men and women are similarly strong in the legs, but men are ahead in the upper body. Not sure about testosterone's influence on speed/size of muscle development.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

It has decided to declare itself as female. So it should compete with females. However it should not ever be able to change now that it has made its decision.

Well, she was raised as a female, and it's not like she knew that she was an hermaphrodite until now.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Call me old fashioned, but if you've got balls, you're not a woman. Period.

Maybe it should compete with hermaprodites.

'It'? Now your just being an dupek, Polish.

 

[Rostello]

To quote Frankie Boyle here "Whether you have a vagina or not is good enough for the rest of us, it's good enough for the law, it's good enough for GOD but it's not good enough for RUNNING ABOUT apparantly. "I'm so sorry, I can't marry two men" "Oh well you see Father, my partner isn't actually a man because he's been judged as shit at running" "I'm very sorry, I do apologise, God Bless you Gordon and Keith""

This is a fair approximation of my thoughts as well. The actual video of this is below.
I understand that her hormones give her an advantage, but then thats how sport works those with the most testosterone can lift more weights or run for longer etc. That's how its always been and thats how it will remain unless we've decided that sport must only come down to skill and we must discount all variation in our bodies.

 

[Mullahgrrl]

I say she should compete against whomever.

This is the kind of comitment we should encourage.

 

[Lucane]

what ever restroom your allowed to walk into is the race track for you if you continually use ladies room then female track men's room is your perfered well man's track course.

At least that's how I think it should work.

 

[Ryokugax]

Sry, I didn't want to be mean. "That person" is the phrase I was looking for.

Gender identity has nothing to do with physical sex, and her gender identity is female, so she's not an "It'" or a "that person". She's a she, balls'n'all.

 

[elbryan108]

The amusing this that I thought this was going to be about 'Lady Gaga'.

I'm sitting in an extremly boring Desktop Publishing class and this has made it more bearable. Thanks!!!

 

[wewontdie11]

Why's everyone a hermaphrodite all of a sudden? I'd assume it's bull.

Well I don't know about everybody else but I don't think I'm a hermaphrodite.

Well due to the odd cocktail of sex hormones she's got running round her blood I don't think she should be allowed to compete with either gender. Sounds harsh and discriminatory a bit but it simply isn't fair on all the other people in the race of either sex.