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Post by lexpretend on Aug 20, 2009 8:28:53 GMT -5
I was wondering that, too. Surely it's not just arbitrary! But then, you'd think everything about it would be better handled.
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Post by Edna Krabappel on Aug 20, 2009 8:54:35 GMT -5
It's probably a combination of masculine features and extremely sudden results progress. She's very young, with little experience and she's setting times almost no one in the world can come close to.
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Post by The Chloe on Aug 20, 2009 9:15:00 GMT -5
Regardless of the result, this could all be avoided if sex tests were mandatory.
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Post by leelee on Aug 20, 2009 10:05:14 GMT -5
Sex tests are probably done by all sports. I even had that done in high school. But, it's nothing more than seeing if there's a dick there or not.
That being said, the timing of this is horrible. Do this BEFORE she competes, idiots. It's not like she suddenly looked like a dude.
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Post by DBBN on Aug 20, 2009 10:59:09 GMT -5
It's probably a combination of masculine features and extremely sudden results progress. This. It's very easy to not care when someone's finishing 8th every week, but now... Also, she has, according to one of the articles I read, extremely noticeable facial hair. Like...noticeable from space. That being said, the timing of this is horrible. Do this BEFORE she competes, idiots. It's not like she suddenly looked like a dude. ASA said they wouldn't have sent her if they weren't sure. And, in their defense, if she really sliced her time so much in literally the last 4 weeks, they might have an excuse: the "sex tests" they're talking about amount to a huge battery of tests which take just as long as that. But yeah, I...I don't know. The world is weird.
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Post by lexpretend on Aug 20, 2009 11:05:44 GMT -5
I think the sex tests were put in train when she first ran an insanely quick time - at the end of July in Mauritius. It's presumably taking so long because they're testing for hormonal/chromosomal irregularities, not just whether she has a dick or not.
So as the tests are ongoing, I assume everyone involved, including Semenya, knew about them before she arrived in Berlin. Announcing it publicly hours before her final, before any results have come back, is a massive dick move on the part of the IAAF.
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Post by leelee on Aug 20, 2009 13:00:50 GMT -5
Well, these aren't really sex tests then. More so, they're trying to find out what's wrong with her... which is horrible to bring up at this time.
If Caster can produce ovum, she's female, the end. No matter if she's filled with male hormones, or testosterone. And that doesn't take long to figure out.
But, if she's a former hermaphrodite like Gronert, or something... then, I don't know...
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Post by DBBN on Aug 20, 2009 13:27:29 GMT -5
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Post by lexpretend on Aug 20, 2009 14:12:04 GMT -5
Yes. What's so awful about the way this has been handled is that she may have some sort of intersex condition which she isn't even aware of. Cf. the sad story of Santhi Soundarajan - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santhi_Soundarajan
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Post by leelee on Aug 20, 2009 21:00:49 GMT -5
The Santhi story is horrible. She's still a woman. And others have been allowed to compete with her condition.
I still think it's cut and dry. If you're born with male sex organs, you can never compete as a woman, period. Most disagree with that. Renee Richards happened, which I find absolutely appalling, so meh.
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Post by The Chloe on Aug 21, 2009 3:45:14 GMT -5
It's a touchy subject, but I actually lean towards Leena's thoughts on this one. For once.
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Post by The Chloe on Aug 21, 2009 3:59:23 GMT -5
On a lighter note, Bolt, not unexpectedly, broke yet another of his records. Am I alone in thinking that it actually looks like he's jogging out there? He's obviously not. It just... looks like it. Anyway, he had what looked like 10m on everybody else, which is just another day at the office for him, I suppose.
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Post by DBBN on Aug 22, 2009 19:54:51 GMT -5
Men's javelin has usually been aesthetically pleasing in recent years. Maybe it's because they don't spin. Well, I'm watching the pole vault, and I think I would do any of them. Yowza.
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Post by DBBN on Aug 22, 2009 20:06:27 GMT -5
Also, I swear to God, why are American athletes dumb as rocks. How can we not medal in any 4x100 relay for the last two years.
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Post by GoDom on Aug 22, 2009 20:11:59 GMT -5
The German commentators always claim Amis are too arrogant to practice baton exchanges. But I don't know if that's true.
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Post by DBBN on Aug 22, 2009 20:56:21 GMT -5
Our commentators say that too. They're in it for themselves!
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Post by leelee on Aug 22, 2009 21:35:31 GMT -5
RAYCIST.
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Post by leelee on Sept 11, 2009 14:22:45 GMT -5
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Post by The Chloe on Sept 11, 2009 15:05:38 GMT -5
Indeed. On the bright side, nobody on either side is putting any of the blame on Semenya herself, so that's something.
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Post by DBBN on Sept 11, 2009 17:49:22 GMT -5
Mmmm. Now what.
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Post by The Chloe on Sept 12, 2009 2:20:58 GMT -5
How awful if she actually didn't have a clue.
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Post by leelee on Sept 12, 2009 10:30:08 GMT -5
The article suggests that she didn't know. I hope she stays strong, I can't imagine how awful she must feel.
My guess is that they'll let her keep the medal she won, then suggest she goes away. Which appears to be what's happening as Semenya has already dropped out of a couple races.
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