Paris 2024 Games: when biological sex resists

The opening ceremony of the Paris Games celebrated gender diversity and fluidity. However, as soon as the evening was over, the world of sport quickly reclaimed its rights, recognizing only two sexes: masculine and feminine.

The opening ceremony of the Paris Games was spectacular and provocative, featuring a few controversial scenes. It celebrated women through a dozen statues dedicated to them and gender diversity through a stage design that showcased, among other things, the transgender world of the drag queens.

Equality is also making strides in sports. For the first time at the Olympics, women are represented on an equal footing with men across all competitions. And mixed-gender events are taking place. But that’s where equality ends. Despite the inclusion of a transgender athlete in Tokyo in 2021, the Paris Olympics have refused to take gender into account. The global sports world remains a conservative stronghold.

More and more mixed disciplines

In Paris, about 20 of the 329 events are expected to be mixed-gender, such as a new mixed 4x400-meter relay, the team triathlon, and team artistic swimming. This collaborative mix, which is necessary and widely welcomed, does not, however, alter the fundamental balance: a man (XY) competes against another man, and a woman (XX) against another woman. There is no possibility of fielding three men on one mixed-gender team against a single man on another.  

But why not simply do away with the categories of «men» and “women” in the name of true egalitarianism? The reason is moral (“it would be unfair because men would dominate women”), based on an established fact: the anthropological constant of performance differences between males and females.

Some Benefits for Men and Women

In sports, the advantages for men and women are not the same, as illustrated by four key differences:

1. The maximum oxygen consumption capacity (VO2max) is significantly higher in men, who can store and use more oxygen.

2. The muscle-to-fat ratio of total body mass On average, it favors men. Although this ratio varies by sport (marathon versus judo), male athletes have, on average, more muscle and less body fat.

3. The size and body weight are, on average, higher among men.

4. The ligament flexibility and a lower center of gravity generally benefit women.

As a result, males have greater power, speed, and explosive strength, while females possess greater flexibility, agility, and—according to many experts—mental strength. These facts are not unique to European populations: they are observed in all 193 countries of the world. Thus, it seems reasonable to distinguish between the sexes based on objective criteria.

Examples of World Records in Track and Field

When it comes to running, women are 9% to 12% slower than men. Usain Bolt holds the men’s 100-meter record at 9.58 seconds, compared to Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.49 seconds. In the marathon, the men’s record is held by Kelvin Kiptum at 2:00:35, compared to Tigist Assefa’s 2:11:53.

In the jumping events, men jump at heights ranging from 16% to 24% higher than those of women. In the high jump, Javier Sotomayor cleared 2.45 meters, compared to 2.10 meters for Yaroslava Manuchikh. And Jonathan Edwards jumped 18.29 meters in the triple jump, compared to 15.74 meters for Yulimar Rojas.

In strength events, men lift weights ranging from 20% to 45%, which are heavier than those lifted by women. In weightlifting, the men’s all-category world record is held by Lasha Talakhadze with 492 kg (225 kg in the snatch and 267 kg in the clean and jerk), compared to 335 kg for Li Wenwen (148 kg and 187 kg).   

For their part, women have certain advantages in sports that require agility and flexibility, such as artistic swimming and gymnastics. The uneven bars and balance beam are reserved exclusively for them.

In fact, there is only one truly egalitarian sport in which men and women can compete on equal footing: horseback riding. It’s the horse that makes the difference.

Validation of the Hypothesis That Men Perform Better

The critical rationalist philosopher Karl Popper (1902–1994) asserted that, to be rigorous in science, one must first present a clear and coherent working hypothesis («men are superior to women in speed, strength, and jumping sports»), and then do everything possible to refute it in the field. If the hypothesis withstands testing in a variety of situations, it can be considered a provisional law.

Yet this is precisely what happens in every competition. Using the measurements displayed on their screens, everyone is invited to find the counterevidence that would disprove the hypothesis of performance asymmetry between the sexes. This scientific approach began a century ago with the first official measurements.

The result? Millions of competitions have taken place since then, and no exceptions have been noted. No woman, even the best in her discipline, has ever been able to win or compete on equal footing with her male counterpart. Given equivalent age, training, and equipment, men remain superior to women in sports involving speed, strength, and jumping ability. The hypothesis still holds: it is a statement of fact.

Transgenderism and Intersexuality

However, some trans athletes are challenging this assumption. One such athlete is the Canadian trans woman Anne Andres, who, at a national competition in 2023, crushed her competitors and shattered women’s records. The problem: Anne Andres was born male and, until her thirties, enjoyed the advantages of a male body. Despite her current low testosterone levels, many outraged female competitors have demanded her exclusion from competitions and the annulment of her records.

Their argument: the objective biological criterion must take precedence over the subjective criterion of gender identity. Otherwise, it amounts to unfair competition, or even fraud. The controversy is far from over: these women have been accused of being terf (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), namely transphobic feminists. The case of trans athletes, however, confirms the decisive influence of biology on athletic performance.

There remains, however, a very specific case: that of intersex conditions and hyperandrogenism, which are often mistakenly conflated with transgenderism. Indeed, there are athletes who, biologically speaking, fall somewhere between male and female. Clearly defining sex in biology is, in fact, a complex task. At least three definitions exist: chromosomal sex, hormonal sex, and anatomical sex.

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It is possible for these three aspects of biological sex not to align. A person may have an XX chromosomal makeup but have abnormally high testosterone levels: this is known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). In this case, the person is genetically female but hormonally male.

There is also the case of males whose XY embryo persists throughout their lives in utero, to male hormones and develops complex anatomical features: a vagina, a clitoris, and testicles. On the 1st^er August 2024: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in 46 seconds—creating a massive buzz with geopolitical overtones—is one such special case. These individuals suffer greatly, accused of being impostors, when in fact they deserve respect and dignity.

These rare cases do not call into question the normative distinction between men and women in competitions. Today, with a few regional exceptions, there is no place for gender in the international federations for each sport. In 2023, the UCI (International Cycling Union) and World Athletics announced the exclusion of transgender athletes from their competitions. According to the federations, the principle of inclusivity must not jeopardize equal opportunity. Even though biological sex can be complex to define at its extremes, it is still the basis on which every athlete, whether male or female, must be judged.

A thought experiment: Judith Butler presides over the Olympics

COMMENT. Let's imagine that Judith Butler, a leading theorist of the gender, becomes president of the IOC and, in the name of «gender performativity,» imposes a new regulation.

She would argue that gender and sex do not actually exist, but only within our categories of thought and language, which shape the world according to a power dynamic. She would thus defend the omnipotence of thought and language against biology, which she views as a mere figment of the imagination that oppresses women and trans people. Since gender is performative, all a woman would need to do is firmly believe that she is a man—or something else—to be more successful. In this way, performance differences based on biology would vanish as if by magic.

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On the other hand, she would advocate for blurring the lines between genders and sexes in line with the ideological stance of her book Gender Trouble in 1990. There would be only one category of extraordinary variety (encompassing all possible sexes and genders), leaving the field open to the overwhelming domination of the male sex over the female sex. By denying biology—only to be caught up in it against her will—Butler would then be forced to cry foul, claiming a conspiracy hatched by the “masculinist” caste seeking to restore patriarchy.

International bodies do not endorse these crazy ideas, which are completely out of touch with reality. Women should be judged separately, based on protective discrimination. The philosopher Ruwen Ogien regularly reiterated the moral principle: «Similar cases must be treated similarly.» Women who have devoted themselves body and soul to sports since childhood are indeed entitled to fair competition among themselves and to hope that one day they will be the best in their category without having to face a transgender woman who is unfairly advantaged. In sports, as in geopolitics, boundaries often provide protection.

Yan Greppin teaches geography and philosophy at the Lycée Denis-de-Rougemont in Neuchâtel.

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