Lynsey Sharp a Female British runner reignited a concern over controversial South African runner Caster Semenya by admitting it was going to be difficult to run against her.
Sharp, 26, finished sixth in the 800m final while Semenya – who was once forced to undergo humiliating gender testing to prove she was female, won the gold medal, setting a new national record for females. Should Ms. Sharp be condemned for her comments over concern for Ms. Semenya physical condition, or just accept that you are the unlucky one.
Semenya, 25, has an ‘intersex’ condition called hyperandrogenism which results in her having testosterone levels that are three times those usually found in women and approaching those of a man.Sharp faced a furious backlash over her comments. @MapsMaponyane wrote on Twitter: Dear Lynsey Sharp, You can’t be mediocre your whole life. Be better. Sincerely yours, South Africa’Stung that the blonde British woman had reignited the controversy over their local heroine’s right to compete, South Africans took to social media to attack Sharp with a stream of cruel jokes and memes and celebrate.
This is extreme to analyze, since both have a valid point in either case. But those testosterone levels should have been a red flag. Then again to insult Ms. Semenya would not have been acceptable either. We have rules for drug testing in place, check with the Russians, some were banned, but this is a natural phenomena that wasn’t intentional. There is no clear cut answer. What do you think?