Riders zoom by during the Twilight women's pro Criterium in downtown Athens, Ga. Riders zoom by during the Twilight women’s pro Criterium in downtown Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 22, 2023. News Joshua L Jones

The battle lines over transgender athletes participating in women’s sports continue to be drawn as political ire and rhetoric have gotten intense in recent months.

Inga Thompson, a cyclist for Team USA at three Olympics, has joined the fray, calling on professional riders to protest Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) policies for transgender athletes’ participation.

“It is time for Women Cyclist to start protesting @UCI_cycling Policy,” Thompson tweeted on Sunday. “Start taking a knee at the starting lines. Team managers need to speak up and protect their riders. Hold signs at every race ‘Save Women’s Sports.’”

Thompson’s tweet is likely in reference to the news that Austin Killips, a transgender female, won the Tour of the Gila in the female category last week. Killips is the first transgender female to win a UCI stage race.

The UCI released a statement on Thursday in which it defended its participation policy but left the door open for amendments and changes in the future.

“The UCI’s objective remains the same: to take into consideration, in the context of the evolution of our society, the desire of transgender athletes to practice cycling,” the organization said. “The UCI also hears the voices of female athletes and their concerns about an equal playing field for competitors and will take into account all elements, including the evolution of scientific knowledge.”

While there is a sentiment in some circles that transgender women have an advantage over cisgender women in competitive sports, that’s not the case for others.

“One high jumper could be taller and have longer legs than another, but the other could have perfect form, and then do better,” Andraya Yearwood, a student track athlete, told the ACLU. “One sprinter could have parents who spend so much money on personal training for their child, which in turn, would cause that child to run faster.”

[Fox News]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.