My Fight for Fairness: An Athlete’s Perspective on DSD and the Science of Sex Testing: Statement by Prof. Dr. Maria José Martínez Patiño
We present a video statement of María José Martínez Patiño (former elite athlete, now professor at the University of Vigo, Spain), as shown at the event “Zwi:schen:räume – Gender Diversity in Science and Sport” on December 3, 2025, at Haus Eden in Lübeck. We also provide her full, unabridged statement, which has been written for the video and translated from Spanish.
We present a video statement of María José Martínez Patiño (former elite athlete, now professor at the University of Vigo, Spain), as shown at the event “Zwi:schen:räume – Gender Diversity in Science and Sport” on December 3, 2025, at Haus Eden in Lübeck. We also provide her full, unabridged statement, which has been written for the video and translated from Spanish.
María José Martínez Patiño was a hurdler in the Spanish elite team. She was dismissed after a competition that would have set her up for participation at the 1988 Summer Olympic games in Seoul – for failing a sex test. She is internationally known for her open and courageous advocacy against the injustices of sex verification procedures in elite sports.
