A biological male runner who identifies as a female was named ‘women’s cross-country athlete of the week’, in October.
The University of Montana’s June Eastwood won the honour after finishing second in a field of 204 runners. In 2018, Eastwood was known as Jonathan Eastwood and competed on the Montana men’s cross country and track teams. Eastwood finished seventh in May 2018 in the men’s 1,500-metre run at the conference’s outdoor championship.
Hormone levels not enough
Writing on the subject, Martina Navratilova, the tennis champion, said: ‘Simply reducing hormone levels – the prescription most sports have adopted – does not solve the problem. A man builds up muscle and bone density, as well as a greater number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, from childhood. Training increases the discrepancy. Indeed, if a male were to change gender in such a way as to eliminate any accumulated advantage, he would have to begin hormone treatment before puberty.’
