The case of South African sprinter Caster Semenya, whose sex came into question after she became the 800-metre world champion last month, has dismayed many academics and female athletes.
And it wasn't because “a secret man,” as one British tabloid called the 18-year-old runner, may be in their midst.
They say the Semenya case shows that an old, ugly paradox is alive and well in women's sport: The same giant quadriceps and bulky shoulders that can clinch championships make athletes look “unfeminine” in the eyes of the world. And that can be a difficult reality for many women.
“There is still a real image that women athletes should be tennis players wearing short skirts and braided pony tails,” says Kristin Gauthier, 28, a kayaker on Canada's national team. “It's a hard mould to fit into.”
A study published by the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 2008 showed that athletic, university-aged women tend to have higher rates of behaviours linked to eating disorders compared with those who do not regularly exercise. Insecurity over certain body parts is also common – even among the sporting world's most powerful stars.
“I think they're too muscular. They're too thick,” tennis champion Serena Williams said of her ripped arms in an Aug. 27 interview with People Magazine. “I know that toned arms are in now. Look at Michelle Obama. … I'm like, ‘keep wearing strapless dresses!' But I don't like mine.”
Jessica Zelinka, a Calgarian who competed in the heptathlon in the Beijing Olympics: ‘I’m lean and muscular … but I still have issues with wearing butt huggers.’
Experts say much of this stems from a media-driven portrayal of the “ideal” athletic body. Strong but lean athletes such as American swimmer Dara Torres garner exposure, whereas strong but bulky athletes are idolized less often, says Guylaine Demers, a University of Laval professor and president of Égale-Action, the Quebec association for the advancement of women in sport.
Sports officials also play a role in pushing a certain feminine ideal by mandating certain clothing – such as tiny bikinis in beach volleyball – in order to sell an activity, she adds.
“It's always like yes, we are good athletes but we are feminine,” she said.Jessica Zelinka, a Calgarian who competed in the heptathlon in the Beijing Olympics, says she sees it play out on the track: The lean and muscular sprinters in their “butt huggers” garner plenty of attention from the cameras, while the bulky shot-put throwers in their baggy shorts perform virtually unnoticed.
“I'm lean and muscular ... but I still have issues with wearing butt huggers,” she says. “They're so short they actually go up your butt. I don't want to go over the finish line with a huge wedgie and be thinking about that.”
Whether bulky muscles are viewed as feminine by society, they are perfectly natural, says Bernard Corenblum, a Calgary endocrinologist.
Women and men make the same hormones, just in different quantities. “Male” hormones, which are called androgens and include testosterone, help build muscle, speed and strength, among other things. (In Ms. Semenya's case, Australian media reported testing found both male and female sex characteristics; these reports are unconfirmed.)
Woman who excel at sports that reward speed and strength – such as swimming or track and field – may be more likely to have naturally high levels of androgens, Dr. Corenblum explains. Those levels may also be why those women appear flat-chested, boyish looking, muscular, or don't menstruate regularly, he adds.
Does that make such a woman a man? Of course not, Dr. Corenblum says, although in some cases it means she has medical conditions. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder that affects seven per cent of all women, can elevate androgen levels.
