AOC boss sympathetic for athletes competing against trans women
The boss of the Australian Olympic Committee has revealed if he has concerns about Australian female athletes going up against transgender competitors at this year’s Tokyo Games.
NSW
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The boss of the Australian Olympic Committee said he feels sympathy for female athletes who must compete against transgender athletes who may have five times more testosterone in their body at this year’s Games.
Matt Carroll said the current guidelines developed in 2015 meant that athletes who are classified as women, could be at a greater advantage if they were transgender.
“I have sympathy for female athletes competing in this space,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“I did not say (that it is not fair), I have sympathy for them because this issue was going to be addressed and it hasn’t been addressed. It would be good if the International Olympic Committee could.
“(Advantages) would depend on the sport as well, how much of an advantage. Obviously skeletal structure to some contact sports would bring an advantage.”
Under the current regulations transgender women can have testosterone levels of up to 10 nanomoles per litre.
However, athletes born as women average between 0.12 and 0.179 nanomoles per litre.
Mr Carroll would not be drawn into saying that there was not a level playing field at this year’s Olympics.
“A level playing field is very important. Every athlete should be able to go into a competition knowing that apart from talent it is a level playing field,” he said.
“That is a discussion that needs to be had, the issue of transgender athletes, needs to be balanced against that level playing field.
The IOC reiterated their stance on transgender guidelines in a statement on Wednesday.
“Overall, the discussions so far have confirmed considerable tension between the notions of fairness and inclusion, and the desire and need to protect the women’s category,” it said.
“Opinions are very diverse and difficult to reconcile, and perceptions differ strongly. The new IOC guidelines will have to balance all of these.
“A change of the existing guidelines – the 2015 Consensus Statement – at this stage would mean a change of rules during an ongoing competition with the qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games already underway. Such a change, therefore, would be neither ethically nor legally admissible.”