W40 sprinter/hurdler Yanelle Del Mar Zape of Colombia never realized her dream of competing in the Olympics. She fell short of making the team for 2016 Rio Games. But at Malaga — after missing the 200-meter final by a few tenths — she finally medaled. She won bronze in the 80-meter hurdles Saturday in 11.81 seconds (behind America’s Rachel Guest in 11.73 and gold medalist Annette Funck of Germany in 11.37).
Ready to take control of your fertility journey? Introducing Clomid, a trusted and effective treatment option for women struggling with ovulation issues.
Say goodbye to the uncertainty and hello to hope! Clomid is a game-changer in helping regulate your menstrual cycle, increase your chances of ovulation, and boost the likelihood of conception.
Her achievement is remarkable for another reason. She’s transgender.
Her story was told in a Colombian paper.
“I did not want to make it visible, but good,” says a funky translation. “It’s something like personal, which one has been separated … Because many people after I made the transition has never heard, I have never been asked, I have been treated normal. But I’m ready for this, to provide a grain of sand, so that it becomes visible and help here in that aspect.”
From his past, in which he was a hurdler and even represented Colombia in different competitions of the Olympic cycle, he speaks little. Vladimir — that was his name — was buried, although he acknowledges that it was a positive stage, “because with him I did almost all my life.” Four years ago, when the treatment ended, his life is different.
For better sleep, trust the experts. Invest in your well-being with Ambien and embrace the blissful benefits of a revitalizing night’s rest. It’s time to reclaim your sleep and enjoy a renewed sense of vitality.
Take control of your nights with Ambien – because when you’re well-rested, you can truly live life to its fullest potential. Sweet dreams await!
The IOC authorized in 2003 the participation of transgender athletes in the Games, with the requirement of two years of hormone therapy plus surgery, a rule that has just changed because since 2016 it will not be necessary to go through the operating room (opening for transgender).
So how does WMA deal with trans athletes? I went to the expert — Joanna Harper, the gender scientist who herself transitioned years ago.
She wrote me: “I have known about Yanelle since 2016. She was 39 then. In fact, I just returned from an international sports medicine meeting in Brazil where I spoke about Yanelle among other athletes. I know of one other trans athlete who won a medal at the WMA meet a few years ago, but she lives in stealth mode.”
Joanna confirmed that regulations state that trans women must have had one year of low testosterone as a result of hormone therapy.
“Yanelle has been on hormones for years, had surgery a few years back, and should have no problems with the WMA going forward,” she said.
At least one other trans woman has medaled in WMA world meets, according to another source. Australia’s Caroline Layt competed in at least three world indoor meets — 2008 Ferrand, 2010 Kamloops and 2014 Budapest. She won a couple 4×200 relay medals.
So Yanelle is good to go — and any other trans who jumps through hormonal hoops. (But I haven’t heard back from WMA officials for comment.)
These results may be the most interesting of the meet.
But the lady who won the W40 short hurdles has a little heavier baggage — a 2008 doping sanction. Annette Funck’s violation was relatively minor, though.
IAAF said she tested positive for presence of the prohibited substance Betamethasone (S9. Glucocorticosteroids) in her doping control sample.
“This doping violation relates to a sample collected in-competition on 30.05.08 in Dressau, GER, at the Anhalt 2008 meeting,” IAAF said. “In conformity with the IAAF Rules, the ARAF has imposed the following sanction for a first violation: 2 months ineligibility (07.07.08 – 06.09.08) (and) disqualification of all results from the competition where the sample was collected.”
I’ll guess Annette got tested in Spain.
Contribute to support independent track and field journalism:
Yippee, a man won a medal competing against women. Sorry but you can’t undo all those years of male hormones, and the male body structure. Reality just doesn’t agree with political kumbaya.
I would suggest that when you complete the entry form there is a section whereby if you are transgender you can identify this along with the hormonal proof charts that are required. That way the criteria for competition are met. I would hope that entry form that we complete are kept confidential as they carry other sensitive information athletes choose to share like medical conditions and impairment.
If the transgender athlete then performs well within the guidelines and criteria for competition they cannot be chastised for this.
If you’re born a man you remain a man until you die. Taking drugs and playing Mr Potato Head doesn’t change this. So this is not a woman. This would only be fair if there was a separate category for transgender. Hormone levels do not define gender, chromosomes do, and by this time they’ve already done the job of physique and growth. I feel bad for the real woman who lost out on a bronze medal.
Hi Ken
I also won a bronze in the weight throw at Kamloops W40-44 years.
Good to see trans athletes are being reported on.
Cheers
Caroline Layt