Tested

Introducing: Tested

Since the very beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle to define who, exactly, gets to compete in the women’s category. A century later, this struggle is still very much alive. Host Rose Eveleth will explore a question that goes far beyond sports: What is fair and who decides?

Episode 1: The Choice

Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? That’s the question facing a small group of elite athletes right now. Last year, track and field authorities announced new regulations that mean some athletes can’t compete in the female category unless they lower their body’s naturally occurring testosterone levels. In this episode you’ll meet one of those runners, Christine Mboma, a reigning Olympic silver medalist, and hear about the difficult choice she faces.For early access to Tested episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's Stories channel here.

Episode 2: Questions of a Physical Nature

We go back to the beginnings of women’s inclusion in elite sports. It turns out that men had an odd variety of concerns about women athletes. Some doubted these athletes were even women at all. And that skepticism resulted in the first sex testing policies.For early access to Tested episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's Stories channel here.

Episode 3: Card-Carrying Females

We meet Kenyan sprinter Maximila Imali, who—like Christine—has been sidelined by DSD policies. She makes a different choice from Christine: to fight the regulations in court. And we learn about an earlier fight, when scientists, athletes, and journalists spent thirty years trying to end an earlier version of sex testing.For early access to Tested episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's Stories channel here.

Episode 4: Running In Circles

In 2009, South African sprinter Caster Semenya won gold at the World Championships. But instead of a celebration, she endured endless speculation about her body, her biology, and her gender. And soon, sports organizations would launch a new round of regulations, lead to multiple court cases, and require sporting organizations to justify their claim that DSD athletes have an unfair advantage. For early access to Tested episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's Stories channel here.