Do transgender athletes need their own category?

Sport, on the face of it, has only two divisions: men and women.

But that’s just a facade, and the reality is that we have far more categories for people who can’t fairly compete in the open men’s or women’s divisions.

Junior athletes are split into age categories, and we have separate competitions for varsity students. Even at senior level we don’t just lump everyone together in two groups.

Physically disabled athletes compete in the Paralympics and mentally disabled people participate in the Special Olympics. Even homeless people have their own multi-sport games.

That’s not to make comparisons between the challenges that people face, but these categories have been created in order to give individuals an opportunity to compete at a fair level.

ALSO READ: SA loses medal hope as Jordy Smith withdraws from Olympics

Sometimes, however, the attempt to ensure fairness is not aimed at protecting outliers, but rather those who are in the majority.

Not for the first time, athletes are controversially trying to compete with an alleged advantage, and once again it might result in the creation of a new division.

Like some athletes with disabilities, most notably double amputee Oscar Pistorius who was accused of having an unfair advantage with his prosthetics, transgender athletes are facing similar accusations.

Their situations are, of course, different and we can’t draw comparisons across the board. But transgender athletes are essentially contesting the same fight which Pistorius won when he was cleared to compete against able-bodied sprinters on the track, and their ongoing battle has attracted as much controversy.

The debate has been fueled by New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard’s qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, where she will be the first openly trans athlete to compete at the Games.

ALSO READ: Simon Magakwe banned for seven years for doping

Hubbard and other transgender athletes do have some solid arguments in defence of their participation, with hormone suppressants lowering testosterone levels and bringing them closer in line with other female competitors in terms of physical ability.

On the other hand, the benefits received from male genetics before they make their transitions allegedly provides an unfair advantage.

It’s a complex debate that’s far from over, but transgender athletes currently look to be stuck somewhere in-between the open men’s and women’s divisions.

It is, of course, an option to just drop those categories and hold open competitions, but that’s not in line with our history of creating divisions in sport to ensure fairness.

Similarly to Pistorius, a lack of research in the area leaves a lot of questions, and until they are answered, transgender athletes will have to continue fighting for their place.

If they win their battle, they will earn the same right as Pistorius did.

If not, another category for transgender athletes won’t hurt. It’s a tried and tested approach.