Team GB cycling stars face losing their Olympics places after a trans woman, 21, announced she would now compete in female events
- Emily Bridges has continued to race against men for the past year while undergoing hormone therapy
- Her successes include gold medal at recent University Championships in Nottingham
- Her testosterone levels are now low enough to meet the criteria set out by British Cycling, the sport’s governing body, for her to compete against women
Top women cyclists who have helped Great Britain to historic triumphs face losing their team places after a trans woman announced she would now compete in female events.
Emily Bridges has continued to race against men for the past year while undergoing hormone therapy, and her successes include a gold medal at the recent University Championships in Nottingham.
However, her testosterone levels are now low enough to meet the criteria set out by British Cycling, the sport’s governing body, for her to compete against women.
Critics claims that despite the hormone treatment, Ms Bridges will still have an unfair advantage over her female rivals.
Top women cyclists who have helped Great Britain to historic triumphs face losing their team places after a trans woman announced she would now compete in female events. Emily Bridges (above) has continued to race against men for the past year while undergoing hormone therapy, and her successes include a gold medal at the recent University Championships in Nottingham
Former life: Emily competing in 2018 before her transition to a woman
Before coming out as trans, Ms Bridges set the Junior Men’s national record for 25 miles in 2018 with a time of just over 47 minutes – two minutes faster than the current national record for adult women.
The 21-year-old recently spoke candidly about her transition and revealed it was ‘always the plan’ to compete in women’s events.
‘After starting hormone therapy I didn’t want to race in the male category any more than I had to,’ she told Cycling Weekly magazine.
Team GB’s women cyclists, including Laura Kenny, the country’s most successful female Olympian ever, have enjoyed unparalleled success in recent years, including five gold medals at the last three Games.
While Ms Bridges told Cycling Weekly that a drop in her stamina levels since taking the hormones had seen her drop back in men’s endurance events, she last month won bronze in the men’s team pursuit at the University Championships in Nottingham and an individual gold in the men’s points race.
The bronze medal-winning time achieved by Ms Bridges and her teammates was just ten seconds short of the 4m 10s which earned Katie Archibald, Dame Laura, Neah Evans and Josie Knight a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics.
Critics have drawn comparisons with Lia Thomas (above), an American trans swimmer who recently beat silver Olympic medallist Emma Wayent in a women’s 500-yard freestyle race in Atlanta
Team pursuit – which sees groups of four riders competing against each other – is the flagship event for British female cycling, and Ms Bridges could now challenge for a place with the national team.
Critics have drawn comparisons with Lia Thomas, an American trans swimmer who recently beat silver Olympic medallist Emma Wayent in a women’s 500-yard freestyle race in Atlanta.
Ms Thomas was ranked 554th in the world as a man before transitioning two years ago.
British Cycling said its trans inclusion rules were set after a broad consultation.
A spokesman added: ‘We believe that the updated policy reflects the current evidence available to us. However, we acknowledge that more research into this area is required.’
Ms Bridges could not be reached by The Mail on Sunday but told Cycling Weekly that while she was ‘nervous’ about a backlash, she believed ‘people are free to express their opinions, provided they do so within the law’.
Team GB’s women cyclists, including Laura Kenny (above), the country’s most successful female Olympian ever, have enjoyed unparalleled success in recent years, including five gold medals at the last three Games
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