Here’s a hot take. Is it time to abolish women’s sports, and just have competition classes based on other criteria, to make sure things remain reasonably fair for everyone?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably become aware of a controversy at the Olympics, involving two female boxers who are being unfairly accused of cheating by not really being women. There has not been any real evidence provided for this, just a lot of rumours and hateful gossip.

One of them, in particular, Imane Khelif from Algeria, became the object of a huge amount of online and offline harassment, because her opponent, a white Italian police officer, forfeited the match within less than minute, refused to shake her hand, and wept at the press conference in which she declared that Khelif must be a man in disguise. After the damage was done, she apologised. 

Aside from everything else (there has been a lot of talk about Khelif having XY chromosomes, but no actual proof), Khelif is representing Algeria, a country where it is illegal to be trans or gay. One can only hope that she is able to return home safely.

This brings me back to my original question. What is the purpose of women’s sports, and why are they segregated in this way? Michael Phelps, for example, the decorated swimmer, is definitely a freak of nature – not only his body shape, but also apparently some peculiarities of his metabolic chemistry make it easier for him to be an elite swimmer than for other people. Nobody has ever suggested banning him in the name of “fairness”, but many women who are unusually tall, strong or athletic are suspected of being men in disguise, and are harassed and vilified as cheaters. 

It almost seems like the purpose of women’s sports is not to celebrate athletes’ hard work and natural gifts and talents, but to keep women in their place – to make sure they can never be as strong as men. There are claims that gender segregation in sports is necessary to make up for the underfunding of sports for women and girls, but it would appear that making sports accessible to all people, of all genders and all ethnic backgrounds, would solve that problem. It almost seems like the issue is patriarchy rather than funding.

I’d love to know what you think – given that most elite athletes are physically gifted in ways that set them apart from other people, is there any real point in segregating sports by gender? Maybe there are other criteria that make more sense? Weight might be a good starting point. What would others be?