Men Lurking Within/Gender Testing and the IOC

Imane Khelif, Algerian boxer, UNICEF ambassador, and center of an Olympic storm. Photo from UNICEF Algeria.

I have been hesitant to write this particular blog, despite the nagging sensation that it would be a public service. The nasty things said about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif over the past “16 days of glory,” aka the Olympics, have been like a recurring nightmare. I don’t want to add more noise. But I would like to provide a little perspective. That is, how did we get here?

You see, I just spent three months writing an article on the history of gender verification policies by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). When I read that the IBA and IOC are arguing over the gender testing of two boxers, I know why it’s so messy, disputed, and unclear. It’s because human beings don’t fit into neat little boxes, no matter how hard those (white wealthy gentlemen athletes) who started the Games have always tried.

It’s always been about what one researcher called “policing the binary.” It’s always been about Femininity Control.

July 31, 2024July 31, 2024

Turners, Sokols, and the Swedish Cure: Gymnastics History & the Games

Photos of group yoga, the US basic training course, and the Rockettes courtesy of Clipart, wikimedia, and Britannica.

What do yoga, obstacle courses, and the Rockettes have in common? They are each similar to exercise styles that were the precursor to modern competitive gymnastics.

You probably have all the details you need to know about the history of Simone Biles, the GOAT of women’s gymnastics. You’ve seen her parents, heard about what she did at age seven, know her family history, medical history, and her husband’s shoe size. You know how she got here. But how did gymnastics get here into the Olympics? It may surprise you to know that gymnastics emerged from multiple paths, all of which had cultural and philosophical movements attached to them.

July 30, 2024August 2, 2024

What You Missed in Paris 2024

Note: This will be a running post for the next few weeks of the Olympic Games, with each day highlighting competitions that may not have made it to the top of the feed.

July 30-August 1

Fencing:

Haven’t seen fencing yet? Lee Kiefer won a third gold medal, a record for U.S. women’s fencing, taking both gold individually and for Team USA in foil fencing. In fencing, the Italians and French reign supreme–when the Russians aren’t around–so for the U.S. to take a medal is an achievement.