Different Strokes

Caster Semenya’s “body allegedly produces testosterone at a higher level than most women. On Wednesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that if Semenya wanted to continue to compete, she would be required to take medications to lower it.” It’s a decision that is sure to be contested and debated for years. WaPo’s Monica Hesse takes a really interesting look at the subject: We celebrated Michael Phelps’s genetic differences. Why punish Caster Semenya for hers? “Phelps possesses a disproportionately vast wingspan, for example. Double-jointed ankles give his kick unusual range. In a quirk that borders on supernatural, Phelps apparently produces just half the lactic acid of a typical athlete.”