Unfair Play: The Battle For Women's Sport 'Thrillingly Fearless' THE TIMES

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As a result, East Germany became dominant in the pool, overtaking the United States as the strongest female Olympic nation.

Its swimmers won 98 of 102 gold medals awarded to women at European Championships between 1974 and 1989. She missed out on Olympic Gold because of blatant doping among East German athletes in the 1980s, and has never received justice. FA issues guidance to clubs warning players and staff to take 'extreme caution' when commenting on the Middle East conflict. Olympian Sharron Davies was way out ahead of the sports world, warning everyone of an impending crisis to girls’ and women’s sport.

However, it was in 1978 that 15-year-old Sharron stormed to the first of her many successes winning Commonwealth Gold medals in both 200 and 400m Individual Medley events. They are stronger, faster and have superior endurance; what is fair about allowing them to compete against women?

At the Moscow Olympics in 1980, in swimming’s most demanding discipline, the 400m individual medley, she set a British record that wasn’t broken for more than two decades. Elegant and tanned-and-toned in an All Saints sundress, dachshund Ed pottering by her feet and Flash, her blind Basset hound in the next room, it’s hard not to conclude that she is literally Living the Dream.Men have 30-60 per cent more muscle strength and testosterone suppressants only reduce that by a maximum of nine per cent. Davies’s courageous campaign is already having an effect: World Aquatics as well as World Rugby, athletics and, very recently, British cycling and triathlon, have all barred trans women from competing in female categories. As a result, she knows what it takes to operate at the highest level – to prioritise, overcome obstacles and attain success.

The new rules stated biological men just had to identify as women and have therapy to reduce their testosterone levels – which could still be far above those of a biological female’s – and they could take part in women’s sports. Steroids androgenised young female athletes, in many cases giving them the muscles, the body hair, deep voices and, above all, the strength and endurance of male athletes.Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport by Sharron Davies review – women are being cheated of medals".