After she crossed the finish line first in the fifth leg, there was more than just bragging and praise waiting on the other side. Instead, much has been about the rules governing her participation. The debate on social media became so heated that the Tour of the Gila chose to close all comment fields that were about the women’s ride. – I felt that there were personal attacks that were deeply impersonal, says Killips to Cyclingnews. – Not unlike doping Where the international federations in, among other things, swimming and athletics have decided that transwomen who have undergone male puberty may not participate in the women’s class at the highest level, the International Cycling Confederation (UCI) has different rules. As a trans woman in cycling, you can participate even if you have gone through male puberty, as long as your testosterone level is below 2.5 nanomoles per liter in the last two years. What is testosterone? Testosterone is a hormone found in both men and women. Men have much higher amounts than women, and testosterone is the most important male sex hormone. In men, testosterone causes body hair, a deep voice and strong muscles. Many people are upset about these rules. – I would argue that going from the men’s to the women’s class in cycling is not unlike doping, writes former cyclist and Olympic silver medalist Alison Syndor on Twitter. She claims that the regulations dealing with trans women are not fair to those who are biological women. Another former cyclist, Inga Thompson, is also scathing in her judgment of the rules. – This really underlines the problems faced by women in cycling. We have more than 50 trans women in our sport. What is happening in the background is that women are just slowly disappearing. They think ‘why bother when it’s not fair’?, says Thompson to The Telegraph. – Worse than 10 years ago, when Killips started as a cyclist in 2019 – before she started hormone therapy, which she is now on. USA Cycling has confirmed that Killips is well within the testosterone levels for UCI regulations. In an interview with Cyclingnews, Killips opens up about the debate that really ignited after her victory. She says she doesn’t quite know how to navigate this discussion. – In some ways, things are worse than they were 10 years ago, we are a real, political target for a scary political movement, she tells Cyclingnews. She is worried about how things are developing. – I am concerned that we are defining womanhood too narrowly, taking away the right to compete against people who have historically been marginalized and whose athletic success has historically been undermined by a metric used to push them out, says Killips. – This is really the biggest point of concern I have, and it is a development I am worried about. I know there is dialogue around it, but I would hope more critical scholarly work is done around it. Open to change news confronted the UCI with some of the criticism that came at the back of Killips’ victory, and the association stood firm in its regulations. – The UCI recognizes that transgender athletes want to compete in accordance with their gender identity, the association writes in an email to news. – The UCI rules are based on the latest scientific knowledge and have been introduced in a consistent manner. The UCI continues to follow the development of scientific findings and may change the rules in the future as scientific knowledge develops. But a few days later, the association issued a press release, in which they write that they have decided to reopen the discussion around the participation of transgender athletes in their cycling events. The UCI has had a board meeting this week, and there it was decided that they will analyze the current situation. In August, it will be debated once again, and a possible decision will also be made there. They say they will still take care of transgender athletes’ desire to cycle, but that they will also listen to their concerns. – The UCI also listens to the voices of female athletes and their concerns about equal conditions of competition, and will take all elements into consideration, including developments in science, they write in the press release. Thank you for the support Despite the criticism and uproar recently, Killips is grateful for the support she has received. – After a week of nonsense on the internet, I am extra grateful to everyone in the field and sports who continue to confirm that Twitter is not real life. I love my colleagues and competitors, and I am grateful for every opportunity I get to learn and grow both as a person and as an athlete together on the trail, she wrote on Instagram after the victory. In the comments section of her own post, statements of support have flowed in, both from family, cycling colleagues and fans.
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Trans woman exposed to harassment after victory – now the rules can be changed – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
