Sporting Gender

November 1, 2019
What distinguishes a female athlete from a male athlete? How does hormone therapy impact athletic performance? It's complicated. Harper, a transgender athlete and medical physicist, does a masterful job of providing a wide lens through which to view this sensitive topic, weaving together a historical account of athletic participation by transgender individuals, along with scientific studies that can be understood by both lay and professional readers. Featured throughout are biographical profiles of intersex and transgender athletes in a variety of sports, including golf, cycling, and tennis, with an emphasis on track-and-field, most notably South African middle-distance runner (and Olympic gold-medal winner) Caster Semenya and Indian sprinter Dutee Chand. Harper's research comparing pre- and post-transition athletic performance provides valuable insight into the physiology of transition, which led to her role as an advisor for various international sports federations. Several chapters focus on her perspective on rulings and legal suits involving the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As society grapples with ensuring fair competition, this volume makes a significant contribution on a topic that has seen limited research. A valuable resource for athletes navigating their gender-identification journey.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)