Rather infamous in Olympic history are two sisters: Tamara and Irena Press of the former U.S.S.R.
It was said of both sisters that their gender could not be determined. Some thought they were men disguised as women, they might be hermaphrodites, and some thought they had used so many male hormones [steroids] they had for all intents and purposes become men.
In addition to setting over 25 world records in the 1960’s, they won 6 Olympic medals between them; Tamara Press won 3 gold and 1 silver medal in 1960 and 1964 in shot put and discus and her sister Irena won 2 gold medals in the hurdles and pentathlon.
Coincidentally after gender testing for all international sporting events was made mandatory in 1968, both women immediately vanished forever from the sporting stage. The Western press took this as a confession while Russian media deny the allegations to this day.
Were they unjustly vilified or were they actually males? To this day, almost 50 years later, that has never been determined
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