Response to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Report on Race and Gender Discrimination in Sport: An Expression of Concern and a Call to Prioritise Research

• DOI: 10.1007/s40279-020-01380-y
• Publication Date: 2020-12-08T11:04:53Z
• Authors: Blair R. Hamilton; Maria Jose Martin...; James Barrett; Leighton Seal; Ross Tucker; Theodora Papadopo...; Xavier Bigard; Alexander Kolliar...; Herbert Löllgen; Petra Zupet; Anca Ionescu; Andre Debruyne; Nigel Jones; Juergen M. Steina...; Karin Vonbank; Giscard Lima; Federica Fagnani; Chiara Fossati; Luigi Di Luigi; Fabio Pigozzi; Maurizio Casasco; Michael Geistlinger; Bernd Wolfarth; Jane T. Seto; Norbert Bachl; Richard Twycross-...; David Niederseer; Andrew Bosch; Jeroen Swart; Demitri Constantinou; Borja Muniz-Pardos; José Antonio Casajus; Victoriya Badtieva; Irina Zelenkova; James L. J. Bilzon; Michiko Dohi; Christian Schneider; Sigmund Loland; Michele Verroken; Pedro Manonelles ...; Francisco Arroyo; André Pedrinelli; Konstantinos Natsis; Evert Verhagen; William O. Roberts; José Kawazoe Lazzoli; Rogerio Friedman; Ali Erdogan; Ana V. Cintron; Shu-Hang Patrick ...; Dina C. Janse van...; Dimakatso A. Rama...; Sandra Rozenstoka; Felix Drummond; Nick Webborn; Fergus M. Guppy; Yannis P. Pitsiladis
• Keywords: Sports medicine; Expression (computer science)

Caster Semenya recently lost her appeal against the restriction of blood testosterone levels in female athletes set by World Athletics, requiring female athletes with “Disorders of Sex Development” (DSD) to reduce their blood testosterone concentrations to < 5 nmol/L for a period of at least six months, and then must maintain this lower blood testosterone continuously if they wish to remain eligible for events between 400 and 1500 m. This outcome opposes resolution 40/5, on race and gender discrimination in sport published by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which calls for the regulations to be revoked [4]. The UNHRC and World Medical Association argue that World Athletics regulation denies DSD women the right to participate in certain events unless they accept “unnecessary medical intervention”, and that athletes are being coerced into such treatment. ; https://www.springer.com/journal/40279 ; hj2021 ; Sports Medicine