Transgender Athletes: Protecting Women’s Sport
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The issue of transgender athletes competing in women’s sporting events and the rules for their doing so continue to cause controversy in sporting circles.
In fact, the need to clarify these rules is one of the election issues raised by Lord Sebastian Coe, the President of World Athletics, in his bid to become the next President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Coe is one of seven well-qualified candidates to enter the race to become the new IOC President, who will be elected in March and take office in June of next year.
His remarks follow the controversy surrounding the transgender Algerian, Imane Khelif, who took part - and, in fact, won the gold medal – in the women’s welterweight women’s boxing event at the Paris Olympics in the summer. She was disqualified from participating by the International Boxing Association, having failed gender eligibility tests, but allowed to do so by the IOC, mainly, it appears, on the basis of her Passport that stated she is a woman!
Coe contends that:
“ …. the International Olympic Committee needs a very, very clear policy in this space.”
And adds that:
“ …. the protection of the female category, for me, is absolutely non-negotiable.”
He certainly makes a very good point, and for all the right reasons, but whether these contentions will land him the top position in world sport remains to be seen!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
