Entirely separate, for now, to their new policy document on women in sport, Sport Ireland are nonetheless aware of the pending decision which may ultimately impact on the very category of women in sport.
After a week-long hearing last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are expected to announce by March 26th their decision on the case between the IAAF, the governing body of world athletics, and Caster Semenya, the South African 800m runner.
Under new eligibility regulations announced last year, a separate female classification to be known as an Athlete with Differences of Sexual Development (or DSDs) would require athletes such as Semenya to reduce her natural testosterone levels, by use of daily hormonal contraceptives, if her future times on the track are to be valid for record purposes
The new DSDs rule would replace the IAAF’s previous regulations governing eligibility of females with hyperandrogenism, which was successfully appealed to CAS, and has been suspended since 2015.
Separate again to the debate surrounding the participation of transgender athletes in elite sport, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, is also awaiting the decision before deciding on any regulations for transgender athletes ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“It is something that we are keeping a very close eye on, as it is a really important area, and it’s not just about that case [Caster Semenya]”, said Dr Una May, Sport Ireland director of participation and ethics.
International level
“There is a need to take that wait-and-see. At some point, someone will take a position, and ultimately you will have to fit it with what is agreed at international level. So it would be dangerous to take a strong position, for now, if then you’re in a position where you have to implement the opposite position. But it’s a very, very difficult area.”
The issue, said Dr May, won’t be going away, either way
“We’ve also been on a steering group with National Youth LGBT, so we are well aware of the issues, and of our responsibilities, to recognise the challenges around that.
“But we can only watch this space, see what happens at international level, because if a decision is made which impacts on internationals sport, then naturally that will impact at national level as well.
“It’s a bit like anti-doping in sport, because you can have your ethical values, but if there are rules, there is an obligation. If this now also results with standards being set at an international level, we can have all the ethical viewpoints we want, but at the end of the day, if a rule set, that needs to be respected, even if at the moment it’s quite sports specific.”
