Quincy MALEKANI. Photo: twitter.com

In Africa there is a new star runner whose sex is in doubt – Quincy Malekani from Zambia.

IAAF promises to ban such athletes to compete in, starting in November of this year.

The elite running average 23-year-old Quincy Malekani rushed as fast as ten years ago did Olympic champion South Africa caster Semenya. The representative of Zambia until last year was not distinguished by anything outstanding and has shown in the women’s 100 and 200 m results at the level of the Russian standards of master of sports. On the exterior Malekani – judge for yourself.

Malekani recently reached the final of the Commonwealth Games in the women’s 400 metres with a best result – 52,40. These seconds, it would be enough to get to the final even at the recent world championship in premises in Birmingham. Given the speed of progress and its extremely light running, it is highly likely that in the final race, the representative of Zambia will take off from your result.

The appearance Malekani, which looks at the background of other 400-metrovick, to put it mildly, unusual, once again forced to talk about what women’s running is under threat. A Zambian woman even call name Quincy, which is much more popular as a male than as a female. Her namesake, like the Dutch player Quincy promes and the famous American composer Quincy Jones, winner of 27 Grammy awards.

In General, if nothing is done, women born as such without any deviations, will soon simply not be able to compete with Malekani, Custer Semana and the like. Semenya herself, by the way, at the Commonwealth Games playing, too. She’s already won behind a clear advantage running the 1500 m and will soon win the same title at his favorite distance of 800 m. Other female athletes habitually unhappy, but caster now anyway.

– I used to think about performance, not about how to look at my competitors, is delicately pinned it all the rest. – You just need to try to perform at his maximum. The point is not the size of the muscles, and the result on the track.

How would it say Semenya’s not the size of the muscles too. The international athletics Federation for the past seven years trying to reduce performances in the women’s competition of such athletes as South Africa. Medicine calls it the state of hyperandrogenism, it is not a disease but a congenital feature. It is characterized primarily by a higher level of testosterone, which may at times exceed the typical for women. The result is a pronounced muscles, extraordinary strength, and some of the other symptoms.

The problem is that mocking Semana, Malekani and the like look like discrimination. Nobody laughs, for example the swimmer Michael Phelps, although his body structure is also absolutely not typical for the average person. Court of arbitration for sport (CAS) has adopted the same position.

In 2015, he forced the IAAF to abolish limits on the maximum level of testosterone in the women’s competition. This allowed Simon and some other athletes to speak calmly, taking no therapy. In Rio 2016 Semenya became the champion of the Games in the 800 m, and a year later at the world Championships in London calmly defended his title, adding another, and bronze in the 1500-meters competition.

However, in the summer of 2017 has issued a new scientific study, which was financed by the IAAF. It confirms that athletes with high levels of testosterone in certain disciplines a head taller than those born with typical indicators. Now the IAAF in June submit to the CAS draft of its new competition rules, and in the best scenario, since November rules come into force. And athletes like Simon and Malekani, will face a difficult choice. Or artificially lowering your testosterone level by taking drugs, or to speak in men’s tournaments, equivalent to the completion of a career. After all, even a champion among women, among men, completely uncompetitive.

Interestingly, even if in November, the new rules will come into force, they will be distributed only on the run from 400 to 1500 meters, inclusive. For other disciplines the advantage of hyperandrogenism is still considered unproven. That is, theoretically, the Seed and the company has another loophole: to retrain for running the 100 and 200 meters. There is also their physical data will be needed. Not to mention the technical types like hammer throwing, where, according to a study by the IAAF, the excess testosterone gives an advantage in the amount of 4.5 percent. So you understand, it’s a distance of about three meters, i.e. the gap between the champion and the underdog.

A limitation in the disciplines, adopted by the IAAF, could be a ticking for the world of sports. After all, athletes like seeds will have a definite advantage in swimming, biathlon, skiing. In General, all cyclic and speed-power kinds, where the distance between women’s and men’s sports is huge. Athletics has faced this problem earlier than others only because running is the most accessible type of activity. In poor African villages, where are these athletes to do anything else simply is not possible.

But I certainly enterprising coaches will understand that openly bonanza. Take this athlete in their Teens, get to a specialised database, learn the basics of technique, and a few years guaranteed to get the champion. Paradoxically, while testosterone is included in the WADA prohibited list, and its injection was suspended more than one hundred athletes. But CAS believes the fact that he gives the sport a benefit that is unproven.

Natalia MARYANCHIK, Sport-Express