Caitlyn Jenner has strong feelings on trans women in sport

An Olympic gold medallist before her transition, Caitlyn Jenner has some blunt reality checks for transgender athletes.

Caitlyn Jenner, widely considered the world’s most well known transgender woman, has given her take on the debate over trans people and professional sport.

The 74-year-old won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games competing as Bruce Jenner before transitioning to Caitlyn in 2015.

Now in a wide-ranging interview alongside former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies with The Telegraph in the UK, Jenner has given strong views about trans women and sport.

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The issue has blown up in recent years, probably most infamously via American swimmer Lia Thomas, who was an average college competitor as a male before winning an NCAA Division 1 title in 2022 after coming out as transgender.

Earlier this month, trans golfer Hailey Davidson was banned from the professional NXXT Women’s Pro Tour after the competition changed its eligibility rules

The Tour released a statement announcing any competitor that was not “a biological female at birth” was ineligible to participate.

Jenner strongly agrees with that sentiment, declaring hormone therapy does not make for a level playing field between females and transgender women.

Bruce Jenner competing and more recently, Caitlyn Jenner. Photos: Tony Duffy/Allsport and Getty Images

Former British swimmer Sharron Davies.

“(I’m) someone who went through a complete change and I can still hit a golf ball 280 yards (256 metres),” she said.

“I know the effects of (female) hormones on the body, it does have a little bit of an effect but it’s not a major effect, and certainly not enough to make it even.

“I have been pushing here to go back to chromosome tests. If they continue down this road it will be pretty much the end of women’s sport as we know it.”

Davies, who competed against the East German doping regime when winning silver in the pool at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, is also concerned for the future of women’s sport.

“We have such a small piece of the cake,” Davies said, referencing the differences in sponsorship between men and women in sport.

“And now we’re supposed to move over for what in most cases is mediocre male athletes who are identifying as females who just think that they have the right to take our opportunities away.”

Jenner on the golf course alongside former US women’s soccer player Abby Wambach. Picture: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP

Trans swimmer Lia Thomas (left). Picture: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Jenner comfortably stated that while she lives as a woman in just about every sense, nothing can change the way she was biologically born.

“Let me explain – I am biologically male, OK? I’m XY. There’s nothing I can do to change that,” she said.

“If you believe in gender dysphoria, and I think most people do realise it’s not a disease, it’s a mental condition, just like some people are left-handed and some people are right-handed, it’s kind of the way you’re born and I’ve dealt with it my entire life.

“I consider myself a trans person, I am still genetically male, I changed all of my ID right down to my birth certificate so technically, yes, I am female.

“But on the other hand I know I’m not.”

Davies and Jenner would both like to see DNA testing used in competitive sport.

They are also in favour of a protected category for biological females and a separate open category trans women could compete under.

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has been banned from the NXXT Women’s Tour and players now need to be a biological female at birth to compete. They announced this decision on International Women's Day.

Statement from the tour:

"As we navigate through the evolving landscape… pic.twitter.com/mSal4GvH6a

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) March 9, 2024

“We have a trans girl trying to make it in the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association),” Jenner said.

“I have nothing against her, I wish her nothing but the best life in the world, but you have to realise that when you do transition there are limitations.

“And most importantly you have to respect other people. You have to respect women, OK?

“I have enormous respect for women and what they’re able to do with their lives. I would never do anything to try to upset that balance because I am different, you know?”

Jenner also said she can’t agree with the stance of other trans women that would say she is a “real woman”.

“Oh they would. Honestly they would, because they keep saying, ‘Oh, I’m a real woman, I’m a real woman’ and I’m going, ‘No, you’re not.’

“I will use your preferred pronouns, I will treat you as a female, you can run and dress and do whatever you want, I have nothing against that, it’s fine.

“But biologically you’re still male.”