The athlete who changed the rules on sex tests

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In the 1980s, the Spanish hurdler Maria-Jose Patiño was forced to quit athletics after a sex test revealed she had male chromosomes due to a rare genetic condition called Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. Often facing hostile press coverage, Patiño fought a two-year battle to change the international rules – successfully proving that her chromosome pattern did not improve her athletic performance and that her body was the same as any other woman’s. Patiño was allowed to compete again in female athletics and her case is now seen as a milestone in the continuing controversy over genetic variation in sport. Maria-Jose Patiño talks to Jo Casserly. PHOTO: Maria-Jose Patiño in the 1980s (Personal Collection)