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When you get to the very pinnacle of athletic performance, freak genetics plays an outsized role. Michael Phelps is one obvious example to point at, or Usain B
by thrower123 7y ago
When you get to the very pinnacle of athletic performance, freak genetics plays an outsized role. Michael Phelps is one obvious example to point at, or Usain Bolt, but another is Eero Mantryranta[1], who had a natural gene variant that was equivalent in effect on red blood cell effectiveness to massive EPO doping.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_M%C3%A4ntyranta#Genetics_and_doping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_M%C3%A4ntyranta#Genetics_...
- dspillett 7y agoThis is one of the areas where the system is heavily weighted against some female athletes. Phelps has a genetic thing that means his blood is more efficient at carrying oxygen and he is called lucky and lauded for his (still impressive) efforts anyway. A woman who naturally produces more testosterone than the normal range is either not permitted to compete or has to be "drugged down" to do so.
- ponsin 7y agosource? I don't recall any sports that limit the amount of testosterone women can have. By women I mean people with XX chromosomes.
- dragonwriter 7y agoTrack & field (governed the IAAF): https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/26/606039409/iaaf-sets-new-limits-on-testosterone-levels-in-women https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/26/606039409... And this has, in fact, affected actual (not merely theoretical) XX females: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-loses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-los...
- ponsin 7y agowow, that's crazy
- username90 7y agoCaster Semenya is an XY female, she wasn't lucky she just got male genes.
- beefalo 7y agohttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-loses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-los...
- jaytaylor 7y agoPaywall bypass: http://archive.is/oEC0q http://archive.is/oEC0q