"Male facial features"? What does that have to do with sport?

Huh, what was going on there? "Gender tribunal of the worst kind"? And only taz.de reports about it? Does not work! Or?

What's the matter?

Thursday, Athletics World Championships in London, women's preliminary round in the 800-meter run. Among others, the Olympic champion and new World Champion Caster Semenya from South Africa took part. Peter Leissl and Marc Windgassen commented on the run on ZDF? and caster.

The two journalists were primarily doing their job and giving important information that fits what they saw: Caster Semenya has an unusually high testosterone level. It has been studied for some time now and discussed whether it does not give it an unfair competitive advantage.

In fact, there was a demand that she artificially lower her testosterone levels, but she was blocked by a court. In a few weeks the World Athletics Federation IAAF will decide how to deal with hyperandrogenemia in the future.

Caster Semenya on the running track

An interesting background. But The journalists made further assessments that had nothing to do with sport ? and that they really could have done without.

On the other hand: If nobody except taz.de gets upset, maybe everything is okay? If you take a closer look at the statements of the commentators (perhaps with one or two beers), you can actually only agree with them ...

Caster Semenya has a very masculine appearance.

Absolute. Caster is incredibly self-confident. She is apparently so sure of victory that she even yawns before the run. This can only indicate boredom or tiredness, proving that she does not take her competitors seriously. A female charisma always conveys uncertainty and subservience, quite clearly.

Caster Semenya has a male running style. *

No question at all. Both arms swing at an angle and evenly along the body, Caster's steps are straight and efficient. In a female running style, the arms are always long, sometimes also on the hips, and the feet are set slightly inwards. Just compare Caster's running style with that of Jorge González to see the difference.

Caster Semenya's face has male features.

And how! This casual look! One does not have the impression that she thinks about how the others find her. Even as she shakes hands with her competitors, there is no beastly expression in her features, as one would expect from a female face.

You can understand athletes who say that athletes like Caster Semenya are not in this women's field.

How could you not? The commentators have just explained: Against these facial features other athletes of course have no chance. So cold-blooded by Caster that she does something she can do especially well. Full of nasty! The IAAF would not need any studies and neutral decision-makers to find a solution that is fair to all.

World Champion Caster Semenya (center) with runner-up Francine Niyonsaba (left) and third-placed Ajee Wilson.

So dear colleagues of taz.de, come down again! Otherwise nobody else gets upset.

Nevertheless, there is one more question:

Is somebody examining how to deal with the two commentators now?

How the two talk about Caster's facial features and their charisma; then this empathy with which they empathize with the other athletes - are not so much sensitivity and empathy pretty feminine?       

Admittedly, the term "male running style" came later, when the gentlemen commented on the run of Docus Ajok, who, according to them, looks similarly masculine as Caster. Caster's style was previously described only as "different from the female running style of the other athletes".

Why selfies can make your nose look bigger (May 2024).