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Top Indian Runner Fails Gender Test, Stripped of Medal

In an incident that has left many people aghast, one of India?s top athletes, Santhi Soundararajan failed a gender test and was therefore stripped of a medal that she won at the recent Asian Games. While a gender test ? unlike drug testing ? is not mandatory, it is performed if a rival team requests it or if officials feel the need to carry it out. Soundararajan would not comment on the incident and only said that she ?was not informed of the test results?.

This was the second time that Soundararajan has been asked to comply with gender testing. After she won a silver medal in the 800m race in South Korea last year, Soundararajan took the test and was cleared. Many are now wondering how she managed to pass the first test and just how accurate testing methods are. In general, participants are required to undergo examinations by a team of doctors, usually comprising a psychologist, gynecologist and endocrinologist.

The 25-year-old athlete, who was declared India?s best athlete this year, won a silver medal in the Asian Games on December 9th. She will be forced to give up her medal after the test results were released. This is only the second time an athlete has failed a gender test in Indian history ? in 1999, a woman who played for a state football team also failed the test.