Tested

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, Class of 2022, will explore a question that goes far beyond sports: What is fair and who decides?