Fairness furore: cycling body swerves on transgender eligibility

The International Cycling Union says it will reconsider a policy that allows transgender women with reduced testosterone to compete in women’s events.

British Cycling suspended its transgender policy in April last year after a furore surrounding Emily Bridges, the leading transgender cyclist in Britain. Picture: Andy Jones

Cycling’s governing body has bowed to pressure by saying it will consider a new transgender policy that would prevent riders who were born male from taking part in elite female events.

Only 24 hours after defending a policy that allows transgender women with reduced testosterone to compete in women’s events, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said it was “reopening consultation” to “analyse the current situation” and will decide on new rules in August.

It follows Austin Killips’s victory in the women’s Tour of the Gila in the United States last weekend, the first time a transgender woman has won a UCI-accredited race.

British Cycling will confirm its new transgender policy this month and it is likely to opt for an open category and a protected women’s category for people who were born female.

Athletics and swimming’s international federations have already banned athletes who underwent male puberty from competing in international women’s events.

This feels a significant day in sport's transgender debate. First British Rowing gives its 31,000 members a vote on banning trans athletes from the female category, now the UCI suggests a volte face in cycling's global policy after Austin Killips' win. The atmosphere is changing.

— Oliver Brown (@oliverbrown_tel) May 4, 2023

The UCI said in a statement: “The subject of the participation of transgender athletes in international competitions was discussed at the UCI management committee meeting.

“The UCI’s objective remains the same: to take into consideration, in the context of the evolution of our society, the desire of transgender athletes to practise cycling.

“The UCI also hears the voices of female athletes and their concerns about an equal playing field for competitors, and will take into account all elements, including the evolution of scientific knowledge.”

The former US Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson has criticised the UCI’s existing policy for “effectively killing off women’s cycling” and referred to a survey last year by a riders’ union that showed over 90 per cent of professional women’s cyclists opposed racing against transgender athletes.

.@UCI_cycling “announced that it would analyze the current situation by reopening consultation with the athletes and National Federations…members therefore agreed to debate and take decision at next meeting in Glasgow in Aug”

Consulting others incl @women_cpa is a +ve step fwd. pic.twitter.com/0grZVs8ppv

— Alison Sydor #1105 😈👻🐸 (@AlisonSydor) May 4, 2023

Alison Sydor, a Canadian who was a cycling cross-country world champion and Olympic silver-medal winner, said on Twitter that the UCI’s transgender rules “are not fair to female athletes” and were “passed with no discussion [or] consultation with the people who have to live with these rules today”.

The UCI permits transgender women who have gone through male puberty to take part in elite women’s events if they have had reduced testosterone levels of 2.5 nanomoles per litre or lower for the previous two years.

British Cycling suspended its policy in April last year after the furore over Emily Bridges, the leading transgender cyclist in the country.

If the new restrictions are confirmed, it would mean Bridges could not compete in women’s races for Britain in the Olympics even with reduced testosterone levels.

The Times