Sex and Gender in the Sporting World

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw reigning kite sailing World Champion Max Maeder clinch a bronze medal for Singapore. As other countries also celebrate their Olympic wins, Taiwan’s Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting for female (featherweight) boxing has come under scrutiny for perceived ambiguity in her biological sex.

Many people were quick to label her as a male boxer who competed unfairly in the women’s division. The controversy was sparked after Lin was disqualified from the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships and stripped of a bronze medal after failing unspecified gender eligibility tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA). However, it should also be noted that the IBA was expelled from the Olympics due to corruption issues and that it was unclear whether the tests were chromosome tests or hormone tests.

Lin Yu-ting crowned champion in the 2024 Paris Olympics

Types of gender eligibility tests

Historically, the first type of gender eligibility test for athletes was a physical examination where female athletes had to parade nude in front of a panel of medical professionals.

Due to the invasive and humiliating nature of this test, chromosome testing was suggested as the alternative. The basis of this test was simple. By swabbing for samples from the athlete's mouth, they could find evidence for XX chromosomes and confirm the athlete’s gender as female.

After news of Lin failing the IBA’s gender eligibility tests was revealed, many rumours claiming that she possesses XY chromosomes circulated online, and this was enough basis for many to be convinced that she is male. However, chromosome tests are limited as they do not take into account exceptional cases where the type of chromosomes one possesses do not correlate with the genitalia that they develop, otherwise known as disorders of sex development (DSDs).

This happens when the SRY gene on the Y chromosome, which is responsible for sex determination by triggering male-sex development, is not expressed, leading to the development of female sex characteristics instead. As such, the person would develop female genitalia and have testosterone levels that are typical of a woman.

Another condition that could lead to this result is the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), which means that the body does not respond to testosterone as typical male bodies do, leading to the development of a female phenotype instead.

This had happened in the case of Spanish athlete Maria José Martínez-Patiño, who was dismissed from the Olympic team in 1986 after she was tested to have XY chromosomes. She eventually was able to regain her rights to compete, though not without being subjected to public shaming for her persistence.

As such, a more appropriate testing approach would perhaps be hormone testing, or more specifically testosterone testing. Testosterone, which is the primary male sex hormone, is responsible for increased muscle and bone mass. Men generally have around 10 times the amount of testosterone than women, which results in them having a physical advantage over women. By ensuring that the athlete’s testosterone levels fall within the range of the standards for females, this type of test could ensure that the athletes would not have an unfair biological advantage based on their muscle mass and athletic performances.

However, these thresholds of testosterone levels have also barred women with naturally high testosterone levels from competing such as Caster Semenya. She refused to take medication to suppress her testosterone levels, which would have allowed her to meet the required limits.

Nonetheless, it should be noted that while the two mentioned athletes were assigned female at birth, they both had intersex conditions, which adds another layer of complexity to the issue.

While sex-segregated sports may to some extent be based on inherent physical differences as there could be significant differences in athletic performances within members of the same sex, the advantage that Semenya had over other women is typical of a man’s as her natural testosterone levels are in the typical male range.

This could perhaps be where we should draw the line between differences within a sex and differences between sexes. However, many also argue that Semenya’s natural testosterone levels are just like any other natural advantage, such as being taller or having a greater lung capacity. Forcing her to undergo medical treatment can also arguably be seen as discriminatory and a violation of her human rights.

Transgender athletes

Laurel Hubbard, the first openly trans woman to compete at the Olympics

Similarly, female transgender athletes’ participation in sports have been a widely controversial topic, with many arguing that their involvement compromises the fairness of the competitions and others arguing that denying them is discrimination against trans people.

The debate is also highly dependent on each transgender athlete, as some might have transitioned after reaching male puberty, while others might have done so before reaching it. For cases of the former, it is easier to argue against their participation, though international organisations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have allowed them to do so under certain sets of conditions. These include an unchanged declaration of their gender for 4 years and a demonstration of testosterone levels under a certain limit for at least 1 year prior to the competition. In 2003, there were even mandatory rules that the athletes have to undergo sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy in order to qualify for the women’s category.

However, as of today, all of these rules have been abolished. In 2021, the IOC introduced a new framework that focused on inclusion. From then on, there would be no inherent assumptions made that any transgender athlete would have an unfair advantage unless they are backed with evidence. The eradication of those standard criteria allows each sport’s individual federation to set their own eligibility guidelines for transgender athletes’ participation based on the specific physical demands of the sport. This is done in recognition of the complexity in gender and to reduce discrimination on the basis of sex variations.

Gender as a social construct

While the sporting world generally approaches the topic of gender more prominently with biological sex, ultimately, gender is still a social construct. Going back to the case of Lin, who is assigned female at birth and has no actual evidence proving that she possesses XY chromosomes, people were quick to label her as male solely due to her masculine appearance. This shows that despite growing international consensus on the acceptance of gender diversity, people are still conflating gender with biological sex and perpetuating harmful stereotypes about what a woman should look like. People selectively pick on characteristics of Lin that are not typical of her gender and choose to ignore clear biological indicators that would prove otherwise.

Such assumptions undermine her athletic achievements and instead shift the focus to her nonconformity with traditional femininity. As a collective, we are far from deconstructing the generic associations that we have when it comes to gender. As such, it is evident that we still have a long way to go to become a truly inclusive community.