Tipsheet

Cycling’s Governing Body Bans Transgender Athletes From Women’s Events

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  July 14, 2023 3:45 PM

On Friday, Union Cycliste Internationale, the governing body for professional cycling, announced that transgender athletes will be banned from competing in all international women’s events going forward. 

In a statement, UCI specified that male-bodied athletes who believe they are transgender will not be able to compete against women if they went through a transition after male puberty.

“From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in women’s events on the UCI International Calendar — in all categories — in the various disciplines,” the organization said in a statement, adding that “it was necessary to take this measure to protect the female class and ensure equal opportunities.”

The decision came after a meeting where the governing body found that the current “state of scientific knowledge” could not guarantee that biological females and men undergoing hormone therapy treatments were on a level playing field. 

“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,” the organization said.

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In May, Townhall covered how UCI defended its previous policy that allowed transgender athletes to compete against women. Following backlash, the organization backtracked its statement.

This move came after a biological male cyclist who identifies as a “transgender woman” won a women’s race in North Carolina, beating the second-place finisher by five minutes. The athlete, Austin Killips, 27, reportedly “surged ahead” his competitors shortly after the start of the race. Before this, Townhall covered how Killips took home the overall win in the women’s category in the Tour of the Gila race in New Mexico. This instigated intense backlash toward the organizers of the event.

Michael Engleman, the director of the Tour of the Gila race, spoke out against the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) policies allowing trans athletes to compete against women.

“This could kill the sport,” Engleman said in an interview with The Telegraph. He added that he received threats after reports broke that Killips won the race.

“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.”

UCI is now following in the footsteps of FINA, the world’s governing body for swimming. After the controversy surrounding Will “Lia” Thomas at the University of Pennsylvania, FINA announced its decision to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s elite events, which Townhall reported.