In2014,India’sDuteeChandwasarisingfemaletrackandfieldstar,crushingnationalrecords.Butthen,thatsummer,somethingunexpectedhappened:shefailedagendertest.Andwasbannedfromthesport.Beforesheknewit,Duteewasthrownintothemiddleofacontroversythatstartedlongbeforeher,andcontinuesontoday:howtoseparatemalesandfemalesinsport.Firstairedin2018,Duteeandthestoryoffemaleathletesinsportarebackinthespotlightthisweek,attheTokyoOlympics.JoinusforanupdateonDutee’ssecondOlympicgames,andthecontinuedroletestosteronehasinshapingwhoisonthetrack,andwhoisoff.
ThisstorywasoriginallyreleasedaspartofGonads,asix-partseriesonthepartsofusthatmakemoreofus.ItisacompanionpiecetoGonads,episode5:Dana.
ThisupdatewasreportedbyMollyWebster,withreportingandproducingbySarahQari.
"Dutee" wasreportedbyMollyWebster,withco-reportingandtranslationbySarahQari.ItwasproducedbyPatWalters,withproductionhelpfromJadAbumradandRachaelCusick.TheGonadsthemewaswritten,performed,andproducedbyMajelConneryandAlexOverington.
SpecialthankstoGeertjeMak,MaayanSudai,AndreaDunaif,BhrikutiRai,JoeOsmundson,andPayoshniMitra.Plus,formerOlympicrunnerMadeleinePape,whoiscurrentlystudyingregulationsaroundfemale,transgender,andintersexindividualsinsport.
RadiolabissupportedinpartbyScienceSandbox,aSimonsFoundationinitiativededicatedtoengagingeveryonewiththeprocessofscience.AndtheAlfredP.SloanFoundation,enhancingpublicunderstandingofscienceandtechnologyinthemodernworld.MoreinformationaboutSloanatwww.sloan.org.
SupportRadiolabtodayat Radiolab.org/donate.