“We actually don’t know if there’s a biological advantage for trans women over cisgender women because the science is not clear,” says leading endocrinologist Ada Cheung. | meljcunningham FINA
A decision to, in effect, ban transgender women from elite level international competition is based on opinion not science, say Australian researchers who argue that the jury is out on whether they have a biological advantage over cisgender women.that only permits swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events. The organisation also proposed to create a working group to establish an “open category” for transgender women in some events as part of its new policy.
However, James Pearce, a spokesman for FINA president Husain Al-Musallam, said the changes were based on science and ensuring fairness.“It’s what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,” Pearce said confirming there are currently no transgender women competing in the elite levels of swimming.
Dr Sandra Hunter of the Marquette University in Milwaukee said: “Some of the advantages males acquire in puberty are structural and are not lost with hormone suppression. These include larger lungs and hearts, longer bones, bigger feet and hands.” “Competitive sport is defined by physical and psychological advantage. Tall people have an advantage in basketball, just as short figure skaters become champions due to their lower centre of gravity,” the statement said.
Jones said puberty, which can typically occur between the ages of 9 and 14, is associated with a significant rise in testosterone in males, while levels remain unchanged in females leading to sex-specific differences in physical development.“The relationship between testosterone and performance is clear in men, but is complex and not clear-cut for women,” she said.
In sports cheating via “blood doping” occurs when red blood cells are increased. Cheung said the opposite occurs in trans women undergoing hormone treatment, with haemoglobin, which is the oxygen carrying red blood cells, dropping to female levels. Testosterone-related physical traits such as height, bone shape and voice don’t change with hormone therapy.
“I’ve used the analogy in the past of like a four-wheel drive with a hatchback engine. It might look powerful, but performance doesn’t necessarily match appearance.”
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