A male-bodied transgender cyclist who won a race against females stood alone on the winners’ podium after the event after female athletes refused to pose on the winners’ podium and be photographed with him.
According to the New York Post, the athlete, Lesley Mumford, transitioned to live as a woman in 2017. This month, Mumford won a “grueling” gravel race at the 100-mile Desert Gravel Co2UT and competed against women.
“I have no idea why so many people bailed before the podiums, but they did,” Mumford, 46, reportedly wrote in an Instagram post after the awards. “I swear I wasn’t the only one in my age group.”
Enough is enough! Empty podium except for the male who naturally finished atop all the women in the women's category. Despite there being a non-binary/trans category he easily could have competed in. Keep it up girls! #SaveWomensSports https://t.co/OcFnyUezYi
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 16, 2023
Inga Thompson, a three-time Olympian, said on Twitter that the silent protests against transgender athletes are starting.
The silent protests are starting! The women are refusing to stand on the podium with the man! Well done!!! https://t.co/QazFxeoBLc
— Inga Thompson Fdn OLY💚🤍💜 (@ithompsonfdn) May 16, 2023
Reportedly, Mumford came in sixth overall in the female category. And, the competition included a non-binary category that he did not compete in. The Post added that Mumford beat the second-place racer by 17 minutes and third place racer by more than 30 minutes.
Earlier this month, Townhall covered how Austin Killips, a 27-year-old biological male, took home the overall win in the women’s category in the Tour of the Gila race in New Mexico. Killips is a biological male who competed against women.
Breaking News:
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 1, 2023
MAN wins WOMENS Prize 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0Kp6J5GvRe
Shortly after, Michael Engleman, the director of the Tour of the Gila race, spoke out against that trans athletes.
“This could kill the sport,” Engleman said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“I know how hard it is to get people to put money into a women’s team, at any level,” he added. “And now they’re asking, ‘Is this something I can touch?' What if an athlete says the wrong thing? This is harming the sport. It’s a reality that somebody has to speak about.”