Experts Cite Data and Research For Why Transgender Participation Should Be Outlawed in Female Sports

Experts Cite Data and Research For Why Transgender Participation Should Be Outlawed in Female Sports

In a recent article in The Australian, scientists Emma Hilton and David Handelsman offered the latest input on the topic of transgender participation in women’s sports. Hilton has long been a leading voice on the issue, including during the emergence of the University of Pennsylvania’s Lia Thomas during the NCAA season. Thomas, following three years racing for the Penn men’s squad, concluded her college career by winning an NCAA title in the 500-yard freestyle while racing against biological females.

The article written by Hilton and Handelsman is titled, “What Science Tells Us About Transgender Women Athletes,” and includes several points which highlight why trans women hold advantages over biological females. Hilton and Handelsman note that the search for fairness in sports and desire for inclusion naturally conflict.

“Men are, on average, bigger, faster, stronger and have greater endurance than women,” Hilton and Handelsman wrote. “While there is overlap between men and women, at the elite sporting levels the differences are stark. These physical advantages are caused by the dramatic surge in testosterone — a rapid 20-30-fold rise over unchanged female levels — during male puberty. Cumulative effects of male testosterone exposure over years produce a lasting uplift of larger and stronger muscles and bones, higher capacity cardiovascular systems and a higher hemoglobin level.”

In their article, Hilton and Handelsman cite statistical data which support their arguments, notably the percent difference in the performances and records of males and females. Hilton and Handelsman also emphasize the point that female athletes should not be marginalized and forced to forfeit their long-fought place in the sporting world.

“In individual sports such as athletics and swimming, world records and winning Olympic performances show men have a 10-20 percent advantage over women, with even higher advantages in certain sporting skills (pitching, fast bowling, punching, yanking, pulling) of 50 percent to over 100 percent,” the authors noted. “This explains why female world records are surpassed by thousands of males, including by boys aged 14-15 years old in early to mid-puberty.

“Importantly, female athletes should not be forced to assume the burden of competing against unfair male physical advantages in the name of inclusion. This would risk creating another generation of female athletes with lifelong career loss and personal grievances resembling a very different form of unfair disadvantage such as when Australian and other sportswomen faced doped East German athletes in the 1980s.”

Here is the complete article from The Australian.

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Ken

1 year ago

It has been known for a long time that males have a major advantage over females in sport and letting males compete against women was a really unfair and frankly, DUMB idea.

Dr. Greg

1 year ago

Reply to Ken

But there not a male their a female you physically body changes with hrt plus her testosterone levels are lower then cisgender females, when you go under hrt it changes your genetic structure soo if they were born a male they will never be fully male, I don’t understand what you people can’t understand Lia Thomson is a women not a man plus every one is different no person had the same strengths, that’s why people compete to test there limits and go beyond there limits but no you are so concerned about a woman that when’s a race soo what other women just has to train harder because she trained just as hard as every inherent women in thus race and there crying like boo hoo I didn’t win that’s bad sportsmanship. There sore losers boo hoo go cry me a river and swim in it because it looks like you need some practice.

-72

Amanda

1 year ago

Reply to Dr. Greg

Patently ridiculous.

What makes these men women? What characteristics does every transwoman share with every woman that no transman or man has.

Why would these two groups be included in the same category?

What is the collective noun for adult human females?

James

1 year ago

Reply to Dr. Greg

Lia Thomas is still 6’4” after taking hormones. Lia Thomas still has the hands of a large man – which in swimming (and in sports that involve grabbing and holding) – is a huge advantage.

Michelle S. Andrews

1 year ago

Reply to James

I think you are thinking of Michael Phelps, Lia Thomas is 6’1″ while champion women’s swimmer Katie Ledecky is 6’0″

Greg

1 year ago

Reply to Michelle S. Andrews

Regardless… Thomas has a mans set of lungs, mans hand size, mans heart size, mans fast-twitch muscle, etc. The absurdity that not even one year of hormone therapy and only a testosterone count is what makes a male into a woman is beyond absurdity… only an ideologically blinded person would claim it is a fair field (or swimming pool)

Steph

1 year ago

My average time for 50 metres freestyle was around 32 seconds. My average time since transitioning is around 36 second. That is about 12.5% loss due to testosterone blockers. The blockers remove any advantage. Swimming should be able to include all women as well as be fair.

-27

James

1 year ago

Reply to Steph

Did you get about six inches shorter too? Did your hands shrink to the size of a woman’s hands?

buckybarnes

1 year ago

Reply to James

what about trans men swimming with men? i see ur point and it is very true. maybe there should be trans categories

Janet

1 year ago

Reply to James

There are cisgender women who can reach a height of 6 ft 4 in. What if one of these cisgender women took up competitive swimming. Would they have an unfair advantage over the average size women?

-9

Greg

1 year ago

Reply to Janet

That misses the issue… a male does not become a female. If a female has the physical and mental advantage to become the absolute best, she deserves to be recognized as the best woman. But a male has natural advantages that have led society to separate the competition so that women have a chance to be the best. There is no way any sport (except for shooting and equestrian) could have a woman hold a record and/or be a champion if even mediocre men from transition over and compete. No woman would hold any track, swimming, cycling, canoe/kayak/crew or weight lifting record or championship if competing against even average males. No woman would beat out a mediocre college soccer/basketball/lacrosse/tennis/softball/etc. player for a spot on a team.

Why do you believe womens/girls divisions were created in sports? Is it so they can have long hair and wear dresses? Or so they can experience the same success as men/boys, and eventually even the comparable college / financial benefits?

J.lux

1 year ago

Reply to Steph

Could be you didn’t train enough?

It’s undisputable that testosteron gives you physical advantage. Expose girls to testosterone in puberty and then take them off it. They’ll always have the advantage of exposure. I’m not an expert, but I read that transgender women, even with suppression therapy have higher levels of testosterone then biological women. And it’s within regulation for them and not considered doping. And those levels are considered doping for women. I’m all for inclusion, but not at expense of girls who give their all, just to be beaten without a fair fight.

Michelle S. Andrews

1 year ago

Reply to J.lux

Trans women do not seem to have any advantages when one looks at the outcomes of competitions that include trans women.

For example Lia Thomas is far from ‘undefeated’, in fact despite her recent wins she is still only ranked somewhere in the 30-40th of the US’s top swimmers.

The fact that even among the less than 10 trans women champions (in all the sports in all the world) are often outperformed by non-trans competitors shows that inclusion of trans women does not create an environment that is no longer competitive for non-trans women.

-12

Jennifer

1 year ago

Reply to Michelle S. Andrews

When Lia swam on the men’s team she ranked in the 400’s. How is it that she now ranks in the 30’s? That right there is proof!!! Iszac Henig is a “real” man by their rules but he still chooses to swim with the woman. Why is that? Is it because he knows he wouldn’t stand a chance of winning against bio males? He should be forced to swim with the men, right? But no, they can twist their own logic and rules when it suits their needs.

Susan Doherty

1 year ago

Reply to Michelle S. Andrews

It’s very easy to ” lose” on purpose !

Norightanswer

1 year ago

Please publish their study findings, include data. This opinion piece is nothing relevant without concrete evidence.

-4

buckybarnes

1 year ago

where can i read this without having to pay to read it? i going using it for a school essay.

Sarcastro

1 year ago

It’s good to see SW is still obsessed with making sure we all have the correct genitalia…

-6

buckybarnes

1 year ago

Reply to Sarcastro

? what is does this mean