Episode details

World Service,13 mins
The Transgender Debate: Are trans women really a ‘threat’ to female sport?
Not by the PlaybookAvailable for over a year
The British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies this week reignited the debate about transgender participation in sport. Davies says anyone who was born male BUT now identifies as female should NOT be allowed to take part in women's sport, because of the physical advantage it brings. Davies denies her remarks are "transphobic" - as did the 18 times Grand Slam tennis champion Martina Navratilova, who originally said participtation by male to female transgender athletes in women's sport was a form of 'cheating'. She later apologised for using the word "cheat" - but insisted protections were required for those competitors born female. Marathon World Record holder Paula Radcliffe also gave her view on the matter, saying transgender women should be given access to participate but that elite sport coule be open to manipulation if the rules surrounding transgender athletes aren't tightened. Joanna Harper ia a medical physicist who advises the International Olympic Committee on such issues and is herself a transgender woman. Dr Nicola Williams is a research scientist specialising in human biology and leads a campaign called Fairplay for Women. The pair debate Davies’ comments and tell Sportshour’s Shari Vahl what they think is the best way to resolve this ongoing dispute. Photo: New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who transitioned from male to female, competing in the women's +90kg final at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (Getty Images)
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