Forget trans debate, sport was already unfair to those not bigger, stronger and faster

Joe Hildebrand cannot understand the fuss about trans people competing against women. After all, sport is inherently unfair.

I’ve been reading all the debate about trans people competing in women’s sport and golly gosh, for the life of me, I can’t understand what all the fuss is about.

As The Royal Children’s Hospital said in a statement: “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.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself. And I actually tried to once on national television. It goes without saying, I said, that some people are bigger and stronger and faster than others, and they will have an advantage in physical competitions. Sport, I argued, is inherently unfair.

The only difference is I wasn’t talking about trans athletes, I was talking about doping. It’s not my fault I’m not built like a Harlem Globetrotter, so if I’m going to play Michael Jordan in a bit of one-on-one, why shouldn’t I get a bit of go-go juice to even things up a bit?

For some reason, my argument did not go down too well. Perhaps I was just ahead of my time.

Sport, Joe Hildebrand argues, is inherently unfair. Some people are bigger and stronger and faster than others, and they will have an advantage in physical competitions.

And the other thing I don’t understand is all the upset about the world swimming body proposing an “open” category for those who do not fit into the formal “male” or “female” definition. I think I speak for sporting fans everywhere when I say that is going to be the best one to watch.

Is it because trans women might be disadvantaged by competing with trans men? I honestly don’t know — although, according to the RCH, it shouldn’t matter because all sport involves advantage and disadvantage anyway.

So, for that matter, why do we even have distinctions between male and female sport at all? Why not just make every sport truly “open” and let anything go? Again, I’d totally pay to see that.

Or we could just take a more conciliatory approach like we do in kids sport, in which nobody keeps score, nobody wins, and everybody has a sausage. Er, or not. It really shouldn’t matter.

PS: I will be spending tomorrow night at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for the homeless. If you can spare a few dollars, I will gratefully match all the money raised. Thank you!

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/joehildebrand

Watch Joe on The Blame Game – Fridays 8.30pm on Sky News or stream on flashnews.com.au