In an interview with MOLAT Sport Gist on a Friday evening at an event in Lagos Nigeria, Janeth Jepkosgei a 800m world champion from Kenya gave her reasons on why IAAF and other governing bodies like NCAA should ban transgender women from racing. In her view, transgender women discourages young ladies from racing professionally because it kills their hard work and sacrifices.
Why should girls race with someone who appears to be a woman on the outside but totally a man in the inside – Janeth told reporters. She continues by saying “I think IAAF should put a total ban on transgender women coming into athletics. I am not against those who wished to change their gender but I am concerned about the young ladies who had trained so hard to be champion only for them to race against someone who biologically they can not defeat.”
Recently, in the college race, CeCe Telfer, who was born and raised as Craig Telfer, won the women’s 400m hurdles national title at the 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Franklin Pierce University.
Telfer won the final with a time of 57.53s. Second-place was way back in 59.21s. Telfer also earned All-American First Team honours with a fifth-place finish in the 100m hurdles earlier in the day .
Before joining the women’s team this season, she competed against other men and was ranked outside the top 200 runners in college athletics. In 2016 and 2017, Telfer ranked 200th and 390th, respectively, and she didn’t compete in 2018.
“I believe if we keep giving our voices with the help of the media, things will change for the upcoming athletes. Men who failed in their game shouldn’t be allowed in women game because it discourages the hardworking young ones.” – Janeth Jepkosgei
Testosterone levels in athletics have been a big discussion point after South African 800m runner Caster Semenya was told by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) she must take testosterone-suppressing medication to lower her testosterone levels to compete.
You have been racing with Semenya in the 800m race and hardly won, recently she had issue with the IAAF. Do you think Semenya should be allowed to race with fellow women and what is the difference between Semenya and Telfer?
Janeth Jepkosgei : “we have many women like Semenya in Africa but they lost their confidence to body-shaming bullies , Semenya is a voice to other women in her situation, she gave them confidence to dream again. …. it’s not Semenya’s fault that she was born that way and I salute her courage for not giving up on who she is. On the other hand, Telfer was a man who decided to live as a woman and I have no problem with her decision but it gives her upper hand over the other ladies.”
How do you feel when you lose against Semenya? – “I never feel lost to Semenya because for every race I came second, I tell myself 2 is a number too, you’ve done so well. So I keep training hard and I’m happy because I like Semenya she is my sister from South Africa.”– Janeth Jepkosgei
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