The UCI has banned 21-year-old transgender rider Emily Bridges from the UK National Championships, which takes place this weekend.
The British Cycling Federation had already released the young woman’s post, after she demonstrated that she had lowered her testosterone levels to the desired levels. Bridges, who was a junior national champion among men, started hormone therapy last year and this will be her first women’s competition.
However, the international body refused to share the cyclist on the grounds that she was not in compliance with the regulations because she was still registered as a cyclist and therefore could not compete between women. The British media makes the point that the international body is afraid to boycott other participants.
“Under Britain’s non-binary and transgender participation policy, Emily Bridges is required to participate in the Great Britain National Cycling Championships,” the British Cycling Federation said in a statement.
“The UCI has informed us that under their current guidelines, Emily is not eligible to participate in this event. We acknowledge the UCI’s decision regarding Emily’s participation, but we acknowledge their complete disappointment.”
The National Federation said it would continue to work with the UCI on Bridges’ case and more broadly regarding transgender athletes and called for a “coalition” to address transgender and non-binary participation in elite sports.
“The inclusion of transgender and non-binary people is greater than racing and athletic – it is a challenge for all elite sports. We believe that all those involved in our sport deserve greater clarity and understanding about participation in elite competitions and we will continue to work with the UCI on Emily’s case and the broader situation regarding this the case “.
“We also understand that in elite sport, the concept of fairness is essential. For this reason, British Cycling today is calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how to achieve justice in a way that preserves dignity and respect for all athletes.”
Both the UCI and British Cycling require cyclists to have testosterone levels below 5nml/l for 12 months.
