Since the very beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle to define who, exactly, gets to compete in the women’s category. A century later, this struggle is still very much alive.
Last year, track and field authorities announced new regulations that mean some athletes can’t compete in the female category unless they lower their body’s naturally occurring testosterone levels. Tested will follow the still-unfolding story of two of these athletes: Christine Mboma, the Olympic silver medalist from Namibia, and Maximila Imali, who holds two Kenyan national records. These women are not trans athletes. They were assigned female at birth, raised as girls, and have never questioned their gender identity. But they have bodies that some argue give them an “unfair advantage.” The new rules offer them three choices: give up their Olympic dreams, try to challenge the rules, or alter their bodies.
This story will trace the surprising, 100-year history of sex testing in elite sports that led to this moment. Through the eyes of Mboma, Imali, and a whole cast of historians, scientists, doctors, and other athletes, host Rose Eveleth will explore a question that goes far beyond sports: What is fair and who decides?
CREDITS
This website was produced and edited by Bucket of Eels.
The Tested podcast was produced by CBC, NPR’s Embedded, and Bucket of Eels.
For specific episode credits, go to individual episode pages.
Series Wide Credits
Tested was written, reported and hosted by Rose Eveleth
Editing by Alison MacAdam and Veronica Simmonds
Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman, Andrew Mambo and Rhaina Cohen
Additional development, production, editing and reporting by Lisa Pollak
Sound design by Mitra Kaboli
Our production manager is Michael Kamel
Anna Ashitey is our digital producer
This series was mixed by Robert Rodriguez
Fact checking by Dania Suleman
Archival research by Hillary Dann
Our intersex script consultant is Hans Lindahl
Translation and interpreting by Rozena Crossman, Vanessa Nicolai, and Jerome Socolovsky
This series was created with support from a New America fellowship.
Voice acting by Loretta Chang, Keith Houston, Amir Nakhjavani, Damon Papadopoulos, Em Solarova.
At CBC, Executive Producers are Cesil Fernandes and Chris Oke. Tanya Springer is CBC’s Senior Manager. Arif Noorani is the Director and Leslie Merklinger is the Executive Director of CBC Podcasts.
At NPR Embedded Katie Simon is Supervising Editor. Collin Campbell is NPR’s Senior Vice President, Podcasting Strategy and Franchise Development. Irene Noguchi is Executive Producer. Legal support from Micah Ratner and Adam Zissman. Tony Cavin is the managing editor of standards and practices at NPR.
At Bucket of Eels, our web producer is Joanna Thompson. Legal support from Quinn Heraty and Beverly Davis. Additional website design and support from Eden Rohatensky.
Music in the series is from Yeezir, APM, Bedtracks, and Ramtin Arablouei.
Archival audio from CBC, AP, Infront Media, Getty Images, NBC, AFP, BBC Radio, BBC Sports, ABC News, PA Media, Veritone, CBS, KBC Channel 1, Prelinger Archives, the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at UT Austin, and World Athletics.
Interview with Sheila Lerwill by Rachel Cutler, Oral History of British Athletics, 2002. British Library reference C790/30, © British Library.
Special thanks to Adéyanjú Aiyégbùsì, Bradley Anawalt, Sari van Anders, Sydney Bauer, Andy Brown, Anastasia Bucsis, The Library and Archives Canada, Jake Elsas, Sonja Erikainen, Myron Genel, Paul van Gool, Diego Girod (and the rest of the team at the Olympic Studies Centre), Sharon Kinney Hanson, Kathi Isham (and the rest of the team at the Medical Historical Library, Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, Yale University), Beth Jacobs, Sammy Macharia, Gordon Mack, Amanda McGrory, Debbie Meyer, Frank Montgomery, Vanessa Nicolai, Seema Patel, Sam Sharpe, Erastus Somenom Soundworks Recording Studio, Third Wheel Podcast Studio, Elaine Tanner, Vivian Topping, and Michael Waters.