Jack Mehoff
02-29-2004, 11:31 AM
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Plan to Allow Trans******s Into Games on Back Burner
Sat Feb 28, 2004 01:25 PM ET
By Ossian Shine
ATHENS (*******) - A decision to allow trans******s to compete in the Olympic Games was put off on Saturday after IOC president Jacques Rogge realized the executive board had failed to grasp the issues.
The decision-making body of the International Olympic Committee had discussed the emotive subject at a meeting in the Greek capital but had failed to make much progress.
"Excuse me for laughing retrospectively," Rogge said. "But the discussion was a difficult discussion for (IOC medical director) Patrick Schamasch and myself who tried to explain a very difficult medical problem.
"I realized that my colleagues did not really understand. and that is natural because they have not studied medicine like I have.
"We need to do a better job in explaining to people what this is about and explain to people in general what is underlying this issue -- also to expel fears."
Schamasch said in November last year that trans****** athletes would be eligible for the Olympics once a certain amount of time had passed after ***-change surgery.
The waiting period had not been determined, he said at the time, but officials wanted to make sure that any side effects of hormone therapy had worn off.
The rule would cover both male-to-female and female-to-male cases.
Some contend that trans****** athletes have a physical advantage against other women.
Men have higher levels of testosterone and greater muscle-to-fat ratio and heart and lung capacity.
However, doctors say, testosterone levels and muscle mass drop after hormone therapy and ***-change surgery.
Until 1999, the IOC conducted gender verification tests at the Olympics but the controversial screenings were dropped before the 2000 Sydney Games.
One reason for the change was that not all women have standard female chromosomes.
Rogge said on Saturday that the IOC will "re-draft everything.
"We will go and speak to the Athletes' Commission," he said. "Even for me it is complicated," Rogge added. "It is much more complicated for someone with no medical training."
http://www.*******.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=sportsNews&storyID=4460701
Plan to Allow Trans******s Into Games on Back Burner
Sat Feb 28, 2004 01:25 PM ET
By Ossian Shine
ATHENS (*******) - A decision to allow trans******s to compete in the Olympic Games was put off on Saturday after IOC president Jacques Rogge realized the executive board had failed to grasp the issues.
The decision-making body of the International Olympic Committee had discussed the emotive subject at a meeting in the Greek capital but had failed to make much progress.
"Excuse me for laughing retrospectively," Rogge said. "But the discussion was a difficult discussion for (IOC medical director) Patrick Schamasch and myself who tried to explain a very difficult medical problem.
"I realized that my colleagues did not really understand. and that is natural because they have not studied medicine like I have.
"We need to do a better job in explaining to people what this is about and explain to people in general what is underlying this issue -- also to expel fears."
Schamasch said in November last year that trans****** athletes would be eligible for the Olympics once a certain amount of time had passed after ***-change surgery.
The waiting period had not been determined, he said at the time, but officials wanted to make sure that any side effects of hormone therapy had worn off.
The rule would cover both male-to-female and female-to-male cases.
Some contend that trans****** athletes have a physical advantage against other women.
Men have higher levels of testosterone and greater muscle-to-fat ratio and heart and lung capacity.
However, doctors say, testosterone levels and muscle mass drop after hormone therapy and ***-change surgery.
Until 1999, the IOC conducted gender verification tests at the Olympics but the controversial screenings were dropped before the 2000 Sydney Games.
One reason for the change was that not all women have standard female chromosomes.
Rogge said on Saturday that the IOC will "re-draft everything.
"We will go and speak to the Athletes' Commission," he said. "Even for me it is complicated," Rogge added. "It is much more complicated for someone with no medical training."
http://www.*******.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=sportsNews&storyID=4460701