To what extent do we tolerate natural biological variation in sports performance? World Athletics has taken a stance against female athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD athletes), also referred to as intersex athletes. World Athletics long-standing controversial battle with South African athlete, Caster Semenya, has been highly publicised. Refer to Heart Health for Athlete’s article: Caster Semeny vs World Athletics: A synopsis Genetically enhanced performance Researc...

Image: Caster Semenya at the 2018 African Athletics Championships The controversy between Caster Semenya and Sebastian Coe is one of the most contentious debates in modern athletics. The dispute highlights the complex interplay between biological sex, gender identity and athletic performance. It flags a number of ethical and scientific questions. Caster Semenya Caster Semenya is a 2 x Olympic Champion 800 m (2012 London, 2016 Rio), 3 x World Champion 800 m (2009 Berlin, 2011 Daegu, 2017 L...

IAAF allowed to impose DSD regulations on female athletes Ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport 2 May, 2019 According to today's article in the Sydney Morning Herald: Olympic 800-metres champion Caster Semenya has had an appeal dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to halt the introduction of regulations to restrict testosterone levels in female athletes. The court ruled the regulations were needed for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) to...

The Unforgiving Minute Ron Clarke AO MBE (1937-2015) Ron Clarke was a man who, indisputably, gave his whole heart to a race. Towards the end of the year, we contemplate the year gone by. Ron Clarke passed away in June this year. He is sadly missed by the athletic fraternity. Ron is regarded as one of Australia's most prolific world record breakers who revolutionised distance running on the world stage. During his running career, he set 17 world records between 2 miles and 20 kilomet...