The world governing body for cycling is to ban transgender athletes who transitioned after male puberty from participating in women’s events, in a U-turn on its rules.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) previously allowed transgender women to compete in the female category providing they were within a maximum permitted plasma testosterone level of 2.5 nanomoles per litre.
On Friday it said its management committee had voted to change the rules after further consultation with stakeholders and a review of scientific, legal and human rights considerations.
A statement said the review had concluded that the maximum permitted testosterone level previously used was not “sufficient to completely eliminate the benefits of testosterone during puberty in men”.
It added: “Given the current state of scientific knowledge, it is also impossible to rule out the possibility that biomechanical factors such as the shape and arrangement of the bones in their limbs may constitute a lasting advantage for female transgender athletes.”
David Lappartient, the UCI president, said: “First of all, the UCI would like to reaffirm that cycling – as a competitive sport, leisure activity or means of transport – is open to everyone, including transgender people, whom we encourage like everyone else to take part in our sport.
“I would also like to reaffirm that the UCI fully respects and supports the right of individuals to choose the sex that corresponds to their gender identity, whatever sex they were assigned at birth. However, it has a duty to guarantee, above all, equal opportunities for all competitors in cycling competitions.
“It is this imperative that led the UCI to conclude that, given the current state of scientific knowledge does not guarantee such equality of opportunity between transgender female athletes and cisgender female participants, it was not possible, as a precautionary measure, to authorise the former to race in the female categories.”
On 1 May, the UCI said its policy was “based on the latest scientific knowledge”, after controversy when the American Austin Killips won the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico, becoming the first transgender woman to win a UCI women’s stage race. Three days later, the UCI said it had heard the concerns of female athletes about unfair competition in the sport and would reopen its consultation.
In late May, British Cycling introduced its own new policy barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s events. The policy created an “open” category in which transgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals and those whose sex was assigned male at birth are eligible to compete, with the “female” category reserved for those assigned female at birth and transgender men yet to begin hormone therapy.
The British Olympic medalist swimmer Sharron Davies backed the UCI’s move on Friday. She wrote on Twitter: “Thank you UCI for at last giving your female cyclists fair sport as they deserve … sport has been treating, with huge disrespect, their biological female athletes. Any governing body not offering natal female & open as categories are committing sex discrimination.”
Liz Ward, director of programmes at Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ charity, said blanket exclusions on trans people were “unfair”
She said: “Trans people deserve the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy the benefits of sport. Blanket exclusions on trans people participating are fundamentally unfair, which often causes trans people to stop playing the sports they love.
“While elite sport often dominates these discussions, it only makes up a tiny proportion of all sport played in the UK. We know that trans people are also under-represented in community sport and often feel excluded … it’s important that trans people have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport without facing exclusion or abuse.
“Stonewall believes that sport is for everyone and expresses solidarity with everyone affected by this decision.”
