Abstract

After the young South African athlete Caster Semenya won the 800m title at the 2009 World Championships she was obliged to undergo gender testing and was withdrawn, for a time, from international competition. Her case became a cause celebre and represents a rich, multi-layered example of the construction of gender in wider society and the interrelationships between sport, culture and the media. This is the first book to explore the case in depth, from socio-cultural, ethical and legal perspectives. Analysing the case of Semenya in a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary fashion, and covering issues from media discourses and the rhetoric and regulations of the sport's governing bodies to the reaction of the athlete herself, the book explores in depth the ethics of how gender norms in sport, and in society more generally, are constructed through appearance, behaviour and sporting performance. Including discussion of key concepts such as 'intersexuality' and 'fairness', Gender, Sport and Ethics is fascinating and important reading for anybody with an interest in sport studies, gender studies or biomedical ethics.