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Sportshour: Are transgender women a 'threat' to female sport?

Discussion & Talk

Are transgender women a 'threat' to female sport?

09/03/2019 GMT

BBC World Service - Sportshour, Are transgender women a 'threat' to female sport?

We discuss whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in women's sport.

The British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies this week reignited the debate about transgender participation in sport, by saying 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 participation 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.

So where does this debate go next? Joanna Harper, a medical physicist who advises the International Olympic Committee on such issues and is herself a transsexual woman, and Dr Nicola Williams, who is a research scientist specialising in human biology and leads a campaign called Fairplay for Women, debate this controversial topic.

It's very rare that Sportshour contains some x-rated content, but a cycling club made up of adult pornstars has lost its British Cycling affiliation - after the governing body said its name might damage the sport's image.

PPCC, which stands for Porn Pedallers Cycling Club, has gained over 100 members since forming three years ago and raises money and awareness for sexual health charities. The club's founder tells us what impact changing the club's name would have on their charity work. 

We'll also hear from Denmark's badminton doubles pair, who are a couple both on and off the court. Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl explain why they kept their relationship private for so long and why they're taking their baby, Molly, on tour with them around the world.

A 16-year-old runner from the United States says her dream is to win an Olympic gold medal and become a world record holder. Athing Mu ran the second fastest time in history for the 600 metres at the USA Indoor Athletics Championships at the end of February and is already targeting more success on the world's biggest stage.

And we hear from the Syrian refugee who wants to swim at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo despite not being able to swim a year ago. Three years ago, 24-year-old Eid nearly drowned trying to reach Europe, when the boat he was travelling in sank in the Mediterranean. 

Now he's living with a British family and training at the London Aquatics Centre, as he tries to win a place on the Refugee Olympic Team. 

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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