MetaFilter posts tagged with gender and sports

Gender "Cheats"

Kadin2048 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:22:22 -0800

In late 2006, Santhi Soundarajan took the Silver Medal in the Women's 800m at the Asian Games in Qatar. Less than a week later, she was stripped of her medal by the Olympic Council of Asia after a chromosomal test. According to the Times of India, "the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said the 25-year-old had failed a sex test, implying she had deceived the sporting world by competing as a woman when she was actually a man." The disqualification ended her athletic career, and several months after returning to her rural village in Tamil Nadu, India, she attempted suicide. Apparently as a result of Soundarajan's disqualification, Beijing Olympic authorities have set up a new lab at Peking Union Medical College Hospital "to test female Olympic athletes suspected to be males." Tests will include chromosomal (principally SRY detection), hormonal, and appearance-based examinations. (Also see: NY Times Blog, RussiaToday.)

Everyone Digs the Long Ball.

krippledkonscious — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:16:52 -0800

He stands a mere 5'1" but can drive a golf ball over 330 yards, and this past weekend he became the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut and play on a PGA Tour event. The golf media is ready to embrace Tadd Fujikawa as its Next Big(!) Thing. Of course, it was quickly noted that the amateur Tadd outplayed, upstaged, and overshadowed another young Hawaii-bred golfer who did not make the cut at the Sony Open: the 17 year-old Michelle Wie, who turned pro at age 16 and is raking in an estimated $10 million in endorsements from Nike and Sony (but maybe we shouldn't break out the Hater-ade over that...). Michelle is widely known for drawing huge crowds while unapologetically ruffling feathers as she attempts to play in various men's tournaments. Her critics note that she hasn't won against the Ladies yet, let alone the men, and is no longer deserving of the hype. Thus the parade of talented and ambitious youth continues to plunge into the waiting, toothy embrace of marketing execs worldwide, shouldering the dreams of their parents and weathering the barrage of the critics' cynical ink...

Wait till one breaks a record ...

magullo — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 03:25:32 -0800

Here's a can of worms: transsexuals who engage in pro sports

jacknose — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 07:58:25 -0800

Male Discrimination? This issue has been building up for the last few years, ever since Title IX has been enforced in high schools and colleges. Now a coalition of male athletes, primarily wrestlers, has sued the Department of Education for depriving men the opportunity to participate in collegiate sports (due to the lack of funds). Here are two contrasting perspectives of the Title IX issue: The Myth of Title IX and Mythbusting.

owillis — Wed, 11 Oct 2000 11:49:31 -0800

Duke kickers testify in gender case. Asked to rank her leg strength, Sims Lenhardt told jurors: "It was inferior to other guys out there. I would say 35 yards was probably the most she could kick."