Emily Bridges previously tried to qualify for the race against Laura Kenny
Emily Bridges, a transgender cyclist, accused British Cycling of «genocide «. ” in a striking offense after riders born of men were banned from racing against women in British competition.
The governing body's ruling effectively bans Bridges from competing in the Paris Olympics next year, as she will now have to race in the «open» category alongside male drivers.
«Fairness is absolutely the driving factor» , said British Cycling chief executive John Dutton of a policy that only affects events deemed competitive by the governing body.
In contrast to Bridges' complaints, who argued that she had no advantage over other female racers, some grassroots racers protested that women's sports protections had not gone far enough. Dutton acknowledged that non-competitive levels will continue to favor 'inclusiveness' over fairness.
The most outspoken attack, however, came from the most famous trans-athlete in British sport. In a 651-word statement on her Instagram page, Bridges said that British Cycling was guilty of a «violent act» and said it was a «failed organisation.»
She wrote: “Is it surprising that the same directly government-funded organization that sends vulnerable refugees to Rwanda is brutally cracking down on any political dissent they don’t approve of, or is starving its own people? No, of course not.
“The same organization with active homophobic trainers who encouraged eating disorders and did nothing about bullying between its riders. The same organization where elite riders influence their politics when it doesn't fit their limited and narrow world view, having neither the ability to understand the nuances nor the desire to question the point of view they were instilled with from birth.
Emily Bridges ' full statement
Despite her outbreak, there will now be increased pressure on the International Cycling Union (UCI) to comply with global rules. Completion of the international review of transgender athletes is expected in August.
Sharron Davies and other campaigners for the best women's sport said the local governing body deserves commendation at the elite level for adopting a policy similar to British triathlon, which last year became the first British sport to endorse stronger protection.
However, Davis and the rank and file riders stated that this policy should have been extended to all levels. Any club event that is not considered a British Cycling registered race will still allow trans women to participate in cycling alongside women. This category includes Breeze bike rides sponsored by the British Cycling community and exclusively for women.
These rides were purpose-built as a refuge for women, and Tessa McInnes, a Breeze lawyer and cyclist from the West Midlands, expressed dismay that her event was not included. “A lot of women look for Breeze rides because they have self-confidence issues and there can be a very masculine culture in cycling,” she explained. “Then they show up and discover that there is a biological male on the trip. The idea was: “If you dare to say something, you are transphobic.”
“It is impossible to find a truly amateur cycling competition for women only”
Maria Blower, who represented Britain when women cyclists were first allowed at the Olympics in 1984, said some of the event's volunteers are now retiring because of politics. “We still want to restore mass,” she said.
McInnes also criticized the lack of provision at the grassroots level. “It is currently not possible to find a truly amateur cycling competition for women only in the UK,” she said. «The Breeze Champions are in an impossible position to control this policy.»
Davies, a British 1980 Olympic silver medalist in swimming and a vocal advocate for the protection of women's categories in all sports, added that local athletes were «no less worthy than elite athletes in fair sport.»
British Cycling made an overnight effort to contact Bridges and about 10 transgender or non-binary British athletes who would be subject to the rules.
«We understand that this has been an incredibly difficult period,» Dutton said at a press conference. “This has caused anxiety, uncertainty and suffering for many riders, so we have an obligation to take care of the support of these people. But in making the decision, we want to provide clarity and direction and make sure that anyone who wants to get involved in cycling has the opportunity to do so.”
International rules allow trans women to compete in women's competitions. category if they had reduced testosterone levels to 2.5 nanomoles per liter within the previous two years. However, last summer British Cycling banned transgender women from elite women's competition while it reviewed its existing testosterone based policy.
The elite men's category will be merged into an 'open' category
“It’s an incredibly emotional and at times divisive topic,” Dutton said as he announced plans for a permanent ban. “It took us many months to look at probably three areas: first, consultation with affected athletes and the wider cycling community; secondly, medical research available at a given time; and thirdly, a legal perspective in relation to the Equality Act. We have decided to balance all three to give clarity, direction and a clear path forward for any athlete.
“The key drivers of the two policies are: In competitive politics, fairness is absolutely the driver. As far as non-competitive policies are concerned, inclusiveness is absolutely the driving factor.”
British Cycling expects to implement both in-competition and non-competition policies by the end of this year. At elite levels, the implementation of an «open» category along with a «female» category means that the existing male category will be merged into an «open» category.
Policies around cycling, swimming and rowing have been the biggest concerns for activists in recent years. The first Austin Killips Women's Prize at the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico prompted calls to rethink the international rules developed last year.
Since the previous UCI transgender policies based on testosterone levels were announced last year, swimming and athletics have effectively banned any athlete who has reached masculine puberty from participating in women's elite competitions.
Last year, the government told the leaders of UK sporting bodies that «elite and competitive women's sports should be reserved for people born Bridges, who set the national junior record over 25 miles in 2018, was banned from the Women's British National Omnium Championship last year after the UCI ruled that she is ineligible.< /p>
She was supposed to compete against Laura Kenny, but the UCI ruled that the 21-year-old, who started hormone therapy to lower testosterone levels last year, was ineligible.
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