Transgender Cyclist Emily Bridges Blocked From Racing At Women's Championship
Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges has been BLOCKED from competing in the women's British National Omnium Championship.
Bridges, 21, appeared set to face some of the biggest names in the sport, including five-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny.
But she has been denied a spot in her first race in the women's category after a ruling by cycling's world governing body.
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Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) state that Bridges was currently not compliant with its regulations as she's still registered as a male athlete.
She began hormone therapy last year to reduce her testosterone levels and will be able to compete as a woman once her male UCI ID expires.
The statement reads: "We have now been informed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) that under their current guidelines Emily is not eligible to participate in this event.
"We have been in close discussions with the UCI regarding Emily's participation this weekend and have also engaged closely with Emily and her family regarding her transition and involvement in elite competitions," said British Cycling.
"We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily's participation, however we fully recognise her disappointment with today's decision.
"Transgender and non-binary inclusion is bigger than one race and one athlete - it is a challenge for all elite sports."
Today we're calling for a coalition to address transgender and non-binary participation in elite sport, and can provide an update on this weekend's British National Omnium Championships.
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) March 30, 2022
Read more: https://t.co/MYjV2scXfn pic.twitter.com/ETbxYVzIfK
Female riders threatened to pull out of the National Omnium Championships before Bridges was denied a place in the race because she had competed as man until a few weeks ago.
Topics: Cycling
Nasir Jabbar