Ross Tucker @Scienceofsport Twitter profile

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Ross Tucker

2 years

I want to try to explain something about testosterone and performance, since it has become the ‘fixation’ and the ‘the fix’ for inclusion policies for both DSD and trans athletes. So here’s a thread to ‘debunk’ and explain why T level, per se, is not quite the right place to look

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

The Lia Thomas result last night is pretty straightforward - confirmation of hypothesis. Based on the physiology, it was predictable that a male athlete with sufficient base level athleticism would suppress T, retain enough physiological advantage & thus performance, to win (1/_

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@jk_rowling Never has a cartoon been more appropriate

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

This has been deleted, but I'd like to thank @peterjrainford for opening this door to some important points in this debate. First of all, this athlete was *RIGHTLY* disqualified because of the advantage gained by a car. Nobody who argues for fairness in sport would disagree...1/

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Thank you FINA for listening to women, your own swimmers and coaches, and to science in creating a policy that respects women’s sport. @fina1908

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Not “fellow female athletes”. Just “the female athletes”, a group of whom Bridges is not part. And by asking for the opportunities of said female athletes, Bridges is asking for more, not “the same”, because male physiological advantage persists. Should be challenged in interview

ITV News

@itvnews

2 years

@stevescott_itv @BorisJohnson "I don't want special treatment from anyone, I just want the same opportunities as my fellow female athletes" Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges answers criticism from those who say she shouldn't be competing in women's events

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

@tomhfh Would you apply the same case by case principle to letting heavyweights box against lightweights, or adults play against youths? Or might it be that this undermines the purpose of sport. Also, how would you do it? Think through the criteria to evaluate this, are there issues?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

And of course, “what is happening” is that women, not men, are not only being asked to step aside to allow men into a category that is necessarily and rationally closed to male physiological advantage, but to accept this, and then also to celebrate it. It’s a travesty for them

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

@tomhfh I can assure you that I am not the one who is confused. Let’s take weight - a weight class exists for boxing in BOTH men AND in women. Why is that? What would happen if we mix the sexes at the same weight? So again, let me ask, since you feel you know this: How would you do it?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

@tomhfh Let’s take the first step. We use weight. We say that a male at 70kg should be accepted into women’s sport at 70kg. Now we discovered that this male is 34% stronger than the weight-matched female. Now what? We have to screen for strength, is that right? How do we do this in a

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

With the UCI decision today, even if imperfect, it means rugby, swimming, track and field and cycling have all recognized the biological implications of sex, and respected women’s rights to fair and safe sport. The IOC, meanwhile, still believe in “no presumption of advantage”,

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

I see Michael Phelps’ arms are all the rage here again today. Which means a bunch of people who understand neither sports performance nor biology (of sex, in this case) have emerged to argue for a single human category in sport and total male dominance without realizing it

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

Male advantage due to testosterone? The first crucial question in the debate, followed by a remarkably bad or dishonest assessment of the evidence to totally rewrite the physiology of male vs female performance. Here’s the clip, then a handful of tweets to correct the falsehoods

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

The @dailymaverick asked me to do a piece on the trans woman in sport issue. It’s necessarily short and high level, but here it is. Writing it made me realize there are some key questions everyone who wades into the debate upfront should answer. Wanted to share them here (1/_)

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

6 years

This is, for many reasons, a fascinating story. It’s the trigger for discussions ranging from medical/duty of care failure to legal/policy issues. According to US doctors, #Karius is #concussed in this incident, shortly before the 1st of his huge errors. Brief thoughts follow...

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

The media have driven an extraordinary narrative on this, one that somehow culminated in recent articles that equate trans women to masculine females. Reject this and you must be transphobe, as though only one set of people’s right matter (& it ain’t Women’s!). The total denial

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

5 years

I’ve lost count of how many times this argument is made, but it’s as ridiculous every time. Biological sex, not identity, is the reason for separation because it’s the most powerful performance determinant. Other physiological attributes differ enormously, both in scale & concept

Peter Tatchell

@PeterTatchell

5 years

Preventing trans women from competing in sport is denying their human rights. Most athletes have some form of advantage, such as fast-twitch muscle fibres, large hearts & lungs or extra long legs. Why single out trans competitors? FOLLOW @MunroeBergdorf

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

@tomhfh Biological male & biological female have meaning, Tom. We can’t just make up the meaning of words to suit our position. “Men” and “women”, by all means, apply gender definitions. But “male” is biologically accurate. Or for sport, ‘having undergone male development with androgens"

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

25 days

Well done @TimesSport for calling out the IOC's extraordinary attempt to redefine & ignore biological reality by manipulating & preventing language. They want us to avoid "problematic words" like biological male, because the truth is inconvenient to them

Ignoring biological realities is dishonest and dangerous from the IOC

Respect for gender identity is important but guidance on how to refer to athletes with differences of sex development makes no sense and ignores scientific facts

www.thetimes.com

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

5 years

@SelfKaz @sharrond62 Yes, yes, yes and yes.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

6 months

Any 'expert' who makes a statement like this, suggesting no advantage for males who identify as women, should basically wear a giant sandwich board that says "I don't know much about sport or physiology" on the front, and "I don't care about women's sport" on the back.

boysvswomen.com

@boysvswomen

6 months

In a paper published today in BMC Psychology, researchers recommend that "until there is direct and consistent scientific evidence supporting the notion of transgender competitors having an advantage, transgender individuals should be allowed to compete [...] without restrictions

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Seventh, if a group of runners was ever shown to be faster than a car, we wouldn't use that to argue that cars should, in fact, be allowed in running races. We would instead realize that we're looking at a pretty crap old car, and/or really good runners.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Third, we don't care whether the athlete in question used a car for 1% of the race of 50% of the race. That they used it at all is reason for disqualification. Their advantage came from "outside the category", and its scale is irrelevant to fairness. It's unfair at any length (3/

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

. @BritishRowing should be embarrassed by this grand deception. A claim that it follows the UK sports council guidelines is followed by intellectual tap dancing and outright dishonesty, end result being discrimination against women. Congratulations, you’ve failed almost everywhere

Cathy Devine

@cathydevine56

2 years

New @BritishRowing trans policy discriminates against females by permitting male advantage in female categories designed to exclude it. Domestic and international competition requires T suppression to <5nmols/L in TW leaving most male advantage intact. 1/ .

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Second, this athlete finished third, they didn't win. But we know that they still gained an advantage and were correctly disqualified. This should be noted by those who frequently suggest that the (perceived) scarcity of TW who win is evidence that the lack advantages.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

In a competitive field, this is arguably a champion submission, and you’ll go a long way to find such dense, nonsensical garbage, disguised as science, anywhere else. Congratulations @realscientists , for showing that neither word in your name should be taken seriously.

RealScientists

@realscientists

2 years

1/n 🧵 I want to address a narrative that we see around women’s sport and inclusion (particularly from those who seek to exclude trans women & women with sex variations from women’s sport), and how this narrative is part of a bigger pattern that functions to keep women small

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

I also wrote an article for the @thetimes on the transgender controversy, explaining some key issues, from the meaning of sport to biological advantages (it’s not like height!), and why a “T fix” doesn’t work. Thanks @martynziegler for the invitation:

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

6 years

Come on, man. #neymar . How do you even show your face in public when acting like this? #WorldCup2018

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

…that this is a colliding rights issue is amazing to me. Another legal adage: “your liberty to swing your fist ends where my nose begins”. Well, women are being punched on the nose (metaphorically, not literally, though that too has happened and will get worse with this policy)

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

The World Rugby Transgender guideline is now out, and fully available here: You’ll also find a document called FAQs which tries to answer some common questions. We firmly believe it is the right thing in an emotive issue, for many reasons.

Player Welfare | World Rugby

World Rugby's official online home for Player Welfare information and related content

www.world.rugby

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

…by design creates unfairness and exclusion for someone by prioritizing inclusion for another (Emma Weyant, in this case), despite abundant science that shows that significant advantages will be retained. Again, this was known and accepted to be unfair to women. Predictable

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Still, the stupid counter argument “they’re not winning, so where’s the advantage?” was bandied about. So if there’s a good thing from this, it’s that people will no longer be fooled by that sleight of hand. We now know & see, and many more people are aware of what is happening

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Sports may finally be realizing that one thing must trump another. That it’s about male development, so the “testosterone solution” doesn’t work. And most important, it’s worthwhile protecting women’s sport, and their rights because of biology, not gender. Keep reminding them

Times Sport

@TimesSport

2 years

🔺 NEW: World Athletics is likely to follow swimming in imposing a ban on transgender athletes from elite women’s races, with its president, Lord Coe, stressing that “biology trumps gender” when it comes to fairness in competition

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Words like “fear”, “prejudice”, “hysteria” and “hateful” imply that concerns about Women’s sport are irrational and illegitimate. You can only make this allegation if you think it’s unreasonable for women to want a space in sport that excludes male advantage. So, is it?

Matt Dickinson

@Dickinsonwriter

2 years

Are we really talking about fairness in sport in the transgender debate - or fear and prejudice?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@AndrewAtter @HJoyceGender It’s like saying that if an e-bike is entered into a bike race, and it’s owner *promised* everyone they’d adjusted the motor so “it’s only half as powerful as it was”, then as long as the owner didn’t win, the motor does not give advantages. But if it does, it’s ok. It’s comical

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

Folks, you can't measure the presence of an advantage by whether someone wins or not. It has to be measured relative to self. The final performance is the SUM of base level PLUS advantage. So looking only at the final says nothing about the presence of absence of an advantage.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

7 months

Absolutely correct. Exclusion would be unfair. But, regulation of appropriate & necessary categories in sports, which actually requires exclusion of some people from some categories, is entirely fair & scientific. Adults from kids sport, males from women's sport. Two examples

A/Prof Ada Cheung (she/her)

@DrAdaCheungAU

7 months

Trans exclusion in sports is unfair, unscientific and just plain politics

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Sixth, we wouldn't allow use of a car if someone promised to set a speed limiter, or to deflate its tyres, or use different fuel to compromise the car's overall performance. We'd especially reject this if those 'interventions' were shown to remove only part of the car-advantage

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

Something keeps coming up in the discussions about women’s sport, fairness and advantages for transwomen. It’s that there is an overlap in the physiology affecting performance between males & females, which some say makes arguments about unfairness irrelevant. Here’s a thread (1/

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Fifth, we don't adjust for the weight of the car, or its cross section area and wind drag compared to the runner. We know that an advantage was gained, so we disqualify people, as per rules, so that the outcome rewards things that matter (running ability). It's really not hard.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

@cyclingweekly You really need to vet your sources and do better at making sure you promote good quality information. This story, and the claims you propagate, are so false it is comical. You’ve offered yourself as a platform for dishonesty.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

I very much wish that people who either a) don’t understand sport, or b) haven’t thought through the implications of this illogical argument would stop offering this foolish rebuttal. Just take the very next step, the one where “male” is the natural advantage, & you’d allow it

Sooz Kempner is doing Edinburgh and then a tour

@SoozUK

2 years

As a 5'1 woman with a short torso and longer limbs I have the worst possible build for swimming and as a result stood zero chance. Anyone above 5'1 with longer torsos should be banned from competitive swimming because it's not fair on me that I'm expected to compete with them.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Here are the 50-yard splits from the medalists in the women’s 500-yard freestyle final at the Ivy League champs. A 15-year old pool record was broken. Pacing strategy 101: Which of these patterns suggests a significant reserve capacity and likely underperformance?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Fourth, it doesn't matter whether they travelled at 12km/h (just faster than the race winner ran) or 60km/h for the period that they used the car. At 12km/h, it's 'close' to the actual run speed, but you'd be foolish to argue that this enables 'meaningful competition', right?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

10 months

Succinctly put. Ivy has for years demanded a right to whatever it is Ivy wants, including women's sport, without consequence, and has attacked, very aggressively, anyone who disputes that. Ivy is emblematic of the threat to women's sport. Good for the UCI for not being passive

Inga Thompson Fdn OLY💚🤍💜

@ithompsonfdn

10 months

I have zero sympathy. Welcome to reality of your actions which you’ve never been held accountable

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

At a recent debate on this issue, Malcolm Gladwell raised that legal concept that “hard cases make bad law”, which can be applied in some instances, but here, works the opposite way around - this is a case that is entirely the result of bad “law”, or policy. A policy that…

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

UK athletics have got the principle and biology absolutely correct here. Points 5 and 6 are accurate. T suppression doesn’t work, male advantage IS retained, and women’s sport exists because of biology. So that’s good of them (unlike IOC, who seem to ignore biology) to recognize

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

For years, people knew that this could (and would) happen. All it would take is for a relatively decent male to be the case. Not at Hubbard level, but a little better. Someone 3% slower than the best men, rather than 10% slower. Close enough to parlay advantage into this result

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

…motives of people are clear and obvious. We will also hear arguments about how TW inclusion should be accepted at sub-elite levels, when titles and prize money and contracts are not involved. Reject that. People don’t get decide that only those things matter to women in sport

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@sharrond62 Worst thing is that they actually did ask athletes. Who told them what they wanted, who voted against them, but they chose to ignore their request & recommendations. They also asked a bunch of TW activists, and decided to listen to them. It's not transparent, but it's still clear

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

You’ll look long and hard, and still fail, to find a debunking of something as poor and weak as this one. Simply saying the opposite thing preceded by FACT (in caps) doesn’t qualify as a debunking of anything. Except maybe intelligent insight.

ACLU

@ACLU

3 years

Attacks on trans youth in sports are showing up in dozens of state legislatures nationwide. These bans are discriminatory, harmful, and unscientific. Here's why ⬇️

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

8 years

Meb ends his Olympic career with a small incident, and a touch of class & humor

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

The thing that sways the choice made by sports (including @WorldAthletics today) is not science - they knew it years ago. I’m sure it’s part of it, but real change here came when women athletes refused to be ignored any more. Those like Emily who stood up for their sports rights

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Boxing understands the compromise to safety and fairness, and will not allow males to fight females. Well done for following the science and respecting the rights of women. Their exploration of a separate category will be very interesting, maybe pioneering

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

…matter to the issue of fairness, and speculating on that distracts from the fairness & integrity of Women’s sport issue. Also this is not about Thomas per se, who is just the manifestation of the policy. I’d rather see your ire directed at those who facilitated this unfairness.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Another thing that will happen more now is a (not so) subtle shift in the debate. Having been told for years to shut up & accept it because no TW are winning, women will now be told to shut up & accept it for “the greater good”. Or “it’s only one”. Is this progress? At least the

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

7 months

One of a few telling things about this is the notion that the issue affects "a tiny portion of the US". It means 50% of the population can be ignored. Set aside. She will not recognize it as a collisions of rights, so she can frame it as affecting < 1% of the population.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

@RepAOC

7 months

Targeting trans children for playing sports makes all women, whether trans or cisgender, less safe. Sex testing is regressive, invasive, discriminatory, and a fundamental violation of our privacy as women and as Americans. This is shameful.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

This performance, post-transition, is only 4% slower than best pre-transition time. Over 500 yards, it’s 6%. With further improvements likely. So, as per science, male advantages are retained, but the IOC have told us not to presume advantage as we trade fairness for inclusion.

Linda Blade

@coachblade

3 years

Well of course women’s records are being smashed! Lia competed as male for first three years in #NCAA . This is not right! We need to return to #SexBasedSports ! #SexNotGender to preserve fairness for female athletes.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Personally, I don’t mind if some want to call it a ban, but then let's be consistent and also say that we ‘ban’ heavyweight from lightweight boxing and adults from youth sport. They’re identical concepts, after all. But I think “REGULATE categories" is the accurate & correct term

The Honest Broker

@RogerPielkeJr

2 years

@runthinkwrite @FondOfBeetles @TLexercise @Scienceofsport @cathydevine56 You wish to ban trans athletes from women's sport You say that explicitly: Sophistry won't work, just own it

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@AbsMcFabs @weareyourfek That’s a decent summation in the same way that my summation of something like say, the world’s financial markets would be decent because I spend and earn money occasionally. I also wonder why compassion never extends to women when compassionate people weigh in.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

As has been the case for a few years, it’s a choice. They know there is no balance. We all know this by now. So they’ve chosen. Chosen to allow male advantage into women’s triathlon, and disguising the choice as reasonable compromise, with a lie about fairness @worldtriathlon

Sean Ingle

@seaningle

2 years

World Triathlon to allow transgender women to keep competing in female category. However testosterone must now be less than 2.5nmol/L for 2yrs. And 4yrs "must have elapsed since the transgender athlete has competed as a male in any sporting competition”

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

And guess what? Nobody has ever done a study of adults playing against children to prove the increased risk. You don't need to because you know the basis for injury (kinetic energy transfer, so mass, velocity and the application of force), and you know how typical male vs female

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Where we are now is in some ways a better place, because I see and hear how many more women are saying “No, thank you” in response. That is good. What is not necessarily good (aside from that this even happened) is some of the “red herrings”. For instance, Thomas’ motives don’t

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

As a physiologist, I absolutely reject that “biological male” is 'a dog whistle signalling denial'. It is an accurate, biologically factual identifier, and used in sex-based contexts, appropriate. But maybe society has also decided that science should be set aside for this issue

The Honest Broker

@RogerPielkeJr

2 years

3⃣Some anti-trans activists who wish to ban trans women athletes from women's competition feed off of and fuel anti-trans bigotry In particular, the phrase "biological male" is a dog whistle signaling denial that trans women are women & is received as offensive

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Thanks to the abdication of its leaders, sport will move from “moment” to “moment” until enough people recognize biological reality & respect women’s rights. Swimming then, cycling now. The only question is whether cycling realizes it this time, or does it need more moments?

Oliver Brown

@oliverbrown_tel

1 year

Cycling has its Lia Thomas moment as Austin Killips, a 27-year-old biological male who only took up the sport in 2019, wins women's Tour of the Gila. Next stop Olympics? Thank you to @ithompsonfdn for her insights for this piece

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Last night, a skateboarder. Now this. Previously, Bridges, Thomas, Hubbard. It’s almost as though you could look at research evidence, apply basic physiological understanding to sport, and predict that this would happen. Now we get to see the hypothesis being confirmed regularly

Colin Wight

@colwight

2 years

“Destroys opposition.” I wonder why? Yet this is not (allegedly) an issue in Australia. Give me a ducking break. ⁦ @Peter_Fitz ⁩ ⁦ @vanOnselenP ⁩ ⁦ @samanthamaiden ⁩. What’s the betting none of the cowards will respond?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

10 months

This is a really good takedown of what is a error-ridden and absolutely dishonest performance by Veronica Ivy, who I now identify as a watermelon (see 3) on @TheDailyShow Noah sees through it, but the stage was set to propagate the lie, not the challenge, nor the truth.

Zachary Elliott

@zaelefty

10 months

There's 5 lies that trans-identified male Veronica Ivy utilizes in this clip about biological sex and sport. Let's break it down. 1. "Policing whether transgender women and intersex women are really female is built in racism." While there has been historical racism against

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

Well, obviously…The secret to pulling off a policy that discriminates against women is to make sure said women can’t speak up about said discrimination. It’s not enough to just ignore the science, simpletons! The @LadiesFootball have got this down, the IOC would be so proud.

Mark Tighe

@MarkLTighe

1 year

‘Avoid giving opinions on new transgender policy,’ LGFA tells captains

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@newschambers Is he equally interested in the voice of females,? Everyone has heard the trans women voice, we know what it is saying, and why. They have been involved in the process from the outset, when decisions were being made in secret. It is important, yes, but so is the female voice

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

8 months

It's interesting that this came up in the CAS hearing, too. World Athletics had kind of tap danced and skirted around it in the Chand case, but when Semenya played this card at CAS, World Athletics responded, and point 289 of the CAS decision captures the conclusion:

Helen Joyce

@HJoyceGender

8 months

This point is often missed. Caster Semenya has had the benefit of full male pubertal development, driven by normal (for a male) levels of testosterone, but is not competitive with elite men. Because Semenya is not actually an elite athlete for a male. Most males aren't

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

7 months

@NakulMPande The "unbeatable advantage" bit you have taken from these tweets is you manipulating an argument. Because of normal overlap between the populations, some women outperform many men, everyone knows this. But it's irrelevant, as you surely know, no? Or do you need this explained too?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

…of legitimate athletes who deserve 100% of the focus & celebration. Aside from directly denying fairness to many, that is also unfair. It matters, so the conversation WILL be had, missteps along the way, but it sure would be nice not to have it. Rather celebrate women (/end)

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

On transgender women & performance advantages. One thought - isn’t it astonishing that given “lots of aspects…physiology & anatomy & the mental side”, that NO female has EVER come within 10% of the best 1000 males? Or…is this an irrelevant distraction given that BOTH males...

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

What really can’t persist is the kind of nonsense rewriting of physiology that @sportisaright engages in here. It’s not even “weeds”. If you’re in the media, you have to call out this kind of misinformation,irrespective of motive. Opinions? Fine. But we don’t get to make up facts

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

This thread typifies two broad approaches to this issue. On one side are people whose paradigm is "There's no evidence (according to them), so there's no reason to prevent males from entering women's rugby". On the other is a group who say "Male physiology is very different from

York RI Women’s RUFC

@YorkRIWomen

2 years

We had it recently during a 7s tournament - our NC2 team was up against a Prem squad. We had to make our own decision to concede. A novice getting tackled by an England hopeful? THAT is a risk. But people aren't worried about that.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@AmeliaFae_ @shereebekker Yeah, i saw this. If this is the process of scientific reasoning and argument development taught in a PhD, I'd be looking for a refund

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@RogerPielkeJr Thanks Roger, I’m pleased for another chance. Let me be very clear - TW are male, having undergone male development driven by androgens (Greek: andro = male, gen = creating). Women’s sport should exclude that advantage, since it can’t be removed through identity or T suppression

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

9 months

Here's one for the pantheon of great sporting statistics...

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

As expected (NZL was never going to follow science on the issue), Laurel Hubbard named in the Olympic team, so will become the first transgender Olympic athlete. Here is our podcast exploring the meaning of sport & key biological issues for fairness:

‎The Real Science of Sport Podcast: S3 E8: Why Transgender Athletes Threaten Fairness In Women's...

‎Show The Real Science of Sport Podcast, Ep S3 E8: Why Transgender Athletes Threaten Fairness In Women's Sport - 20 May 2021

podcasts.apple.com

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

All of which would make me wonder what the agenda is? Inclusion at the expense of all else? Ok cool, but then own it, and say “I think women’s sport should be open, despite available contradictory evidence with limitations, and I don’t care about fairness and safety of females”.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

6 years

Every time a footballer collapses in agony, and forces the game to be stopped, there should be a mandatory 5 min assessment period. The game goes on, no temporary substitution. Make sure that poor diddums is OK, and disincentivize the behavior that characterizes football.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

5 years

Poor Mo. 6 years inside, but oblivious to his transformational coach’s illegal practices while he was on their parallel programme of hard work & healthy eating. And OBVIOUSLY it’s the media’s fault, not his own choices, loyalties & lies, or guilty coaches who taint his reputation

Dan Roan

@danroan

5 years

“It’s not about Mo Farah this is about Alberto Salazar” Here’s some more from a defiant Mo Farah after being repeatedly asked whether he’s disappointed in his former coach

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

“no longer”

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

…so many wonderful topics of discussion. Strade Bianche 2 weeks ago provided one of the all time great finishes. I remember going straight from watching that into a debate on TW in sports. This is a controversy that sucks air away from Women’s sport, diminishing the achievements

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Well done British Triathlon @BritTri , for recognizing & prioritizing fairness. Now the global body @worldtriathlon must follow suit. The science is strong, & women’s voices are loud (80% in this survey, similar in other sports so far). Time to defend the boundaries around W sport

Sean Ingle

@seaningle

2 years

British Triathlon has become the first UK sport to ban transgender athletes from female competition at elite & grassroots level after deciding that “fairness of competition is paramount”. From January there will be open and female categories (1/n)

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

1 year

I’m actually surprised (given their preferred option earlier this year & relationship with IOC, who continue to reject science & women’s rights). But I am also pleased and relieved that they have made this choice. The over-arching principle is the key, and it’s what women deserve

Dan Roan

@danroan

1 year

BREAKING: World Athletics excludes transgender women from elite female track & field competition following review from March 31st. President Lord Coe: “the Council agreed it must be guided by our over-arching principle which is to protect the female category.” ⬇️

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Women get to decide. And besides, the beauty of sport is its “predictable” meritocracy and inter-connectedness. That said, where non-zero sum (colliding rights) inclusion is possible, in a safe way, there should be no barrier to welcoming TW into sport. I believe we need to be…

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 months

Join me in thanking this man for expressing out loud a logical conclusion of arguments to allow males into women's sport. Because if you value natural advantage, you'd value "male physiology" as decisive. This is, however, why women's sport exists & its boundary must be protected

Cothtwit

@cothtwit

4 months

@coachblade @DeaceOnline @NCAA @CharlieBakerMA How about we just celebrate excellence and get rid of “women’s sports” completely? You wanna play, be good enough. Period.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

7 months

@NakulMPande I'm guessing you might, so let's put it this way - many women, who are exceptional athletes, outperform most* men. But no women outperform all men. The reverse, however, IS true. Some men outperform all women. Their advantage is insurmountable. * depending on task/sport type

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

@UCI_cycling This is a particular highlight from an embarrassingly poor advocacy document, disguised as science, in support of the UCIs discrimination against women. First, “meaningful” as a way to force in disadvantage. Then, “everyone gets a chance. Just not an equal one". Women get less

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

Her response is that endogenous T has “zero impact on athletic performance”. Then she tries to explain this as a revolutionary breakthrough in knowledge. It’s nothing of the sort. What she does is to take evidence WITHIN male and WITHIN female, & pretend its relevant BETWEEN them

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

11 months

Seems margin of victory was 210kg, not lbs. Testament to good nutrition, hard training & some significant genetic advantages*, no doubt. Another absurd case, but these all need maximum promotion to push the erosion of women's sports integrity further into the light *being male

REDUXX

@ReduxxMag

11 months

A trans-identified male set a Canadian women's powerlifting record at a championship in Manitoba yesterday. Anne Andres, who previously mocked female powerlifters, lifted a total of 210lbs more than the strongest female competitor. FULL STORY:

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

@tomhfh …concept. Maybe that’s the D-race in the Olympics. Followed by the E, F and G races, until we get to the one with 42kg weight limits, where it’s only women left. But loads of mediocre men doing their thing against exceptional women. So…am I still confused?

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

When you defend biological sex (not “so called”), you are scientifically correct. It also means you appreciate differences between sex & gender. This is helpful because then you may understand how elements of each can be valued differently in various contexts for a charged issue

George Takei

@GeorgeTakei

4 years

When you defend so-called “biological sex,” you sound scientifically ignorant and you elevate transphobia.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

Anyway, enough of the room analogy. We can enjoy the dance, but we have to sure people have the right tickets to the right place! (end)

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

As we have now understood, these decisions are choices. Last week, triathlon chose to allow male biology into women’s sport. This week @IrishRugby have chosen to respect the purpose and meaning of the sport for female players, by excluding male biology from the women’s category

Irish Rugby

@IrishRugby

2 years

IRFU updates Transgender guidelines. ‘This is a particularly sensitive area, and it is important that respect is shown to all members of our rugby family and the wider community.’

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

3 years

This is quite remarkable because it reveals some truths behind how current policy was created - without evidence*, by agreement, and under (one-sided) pressure for inclusion, despite the principles of fairness * there is evidence now - it strongly suggests retention of advantage

FairPlayForWomen

@fairplaywomen

3 years

This morning @BBCWomansHour had transwoman Joanna Harper on to talk about the science behind whether its fair for male-born trans athletes to compete in female category. You can list to a clip of the show here /1

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

2 years

And a reminder that there is in fact a substantial body of research from 3 parallel streams of study that show that “hormone history” or testosterone legacy persists long after T is suppressed. And that @sciam long ago sacrificed its scientific integrity on the altar of ideology

Jack Turban MD

@jack_turban

2 years

A reminder that attempts to force #trans kids out of sports leagues that match their gender identities are unscientific. I explain via @sciam :

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

4 years

If we allowed biological sex to become one of the elements sport rewards, it would mean rewarding ONLY people with functioning androgen physiology. The champions in EVERY SINGLE event would be male. In fact, the top 3000 (at least) would be. That’s not how it’s meant to be.

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Ross Tucker

@Scienceofsport

11 months

I guess “rhetoric surrounding her” must include stuff like biology of sex, performance advantages, T suppression’s inadequacy, reasons women’s sport exists to begin with, & the trodden on rights of women to fair, safe sporting spaces. If you ignore all that, the article nails it

Frederick Dreier

@freddreier

11 months

Honored to have helped with this piece on Austin Killips, who is about a billion times more thoughtful and philosophic about her place in cycling than the rhetoric surrounding her:

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