Robinson and Harcourt have spent decades working with elite athletes throughout their careers,and between them,have advised several international sporting bodies on anti-doping,integrity and medical matters.
“To be honest,I’m a heap more open,and much more pro-inclusivity than I perhaps was before. Mainly because I hadn’t thought about it from all aspects,” Robinson said.
“[Athlete eligibility] depends on the sport,and the skills of the sport ... Every athlete needs to be judged on an individual basis.”
The reason for this,said Robinson,was that physical advantages – and whether they were unfair – were dependent on the sport. A higher muscle mass,for example,would be far more advantageous for a sprinter than for a long-distance runner. Teams sports were different again.
“It’s a matrix. There’s a matrix of issues you have to look at to make a reasoned decision,” said Harcourt,Basketball Australia’s chief medical officer and a medical adviser for the Commonwealth Games.
“It’s going to be a tricky journey because a lot of people know very little about it,so that’s what triggers a lot of ill-informed and disrespectful comments.”