Who is Tiffany Thomas? Cyclocross champion Hannah Arensman quits sport after loss to trans rider
Tiffany Thomas, a 46-year-old-old trans athlete, recently won first place in a women's cycling race in New York City. However, other participants of the Randall's Island Crit cycling competition were left agitated by her win and said that she has an unfair advantage in women's sports.
Not only this, but Hannah Arensman, a former champion cyclist who lost to Tiffany Thomas, announced her retirement after losing the cycling race. In her retirement announcement, Hannah said:
"At my last race at the recent UCI Cyclocross National Championships in the elite women's category, I came in fourth, flanked on either side by male riders awarded third and fifth."
She added:
"My sister and family sobbed as they watched a man finish in front of me, having witnessed several physical interactions with him throughout the race."
Tiffany Thomas was born as a man and started cycling in 2018
Tiffany Thomas, 46, was born as a man. She started cycling in 2018 and has won several cycling competitions in the recent past.
On Sunday, March 19, she won the first position in Randall's Island Crit cycling race in New York City. Soon after her win, she shared an Instagram post where she can be seen standing at the podium.
In the caption, Tiffany Thomas wrote:
"It was a great day to play bikes with friends. I can't wait for more days like this (but maybe a little warmer)."
Tiffany's Instagram bio describes her as a bike racer, scientist, lab director, photographer, fancier of fitness, and dog mom.
Tiffany Thomas is listed in Category 1, which comes under an elite level under USA Cycling rules. USA Cycling follows the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rules regarding transgender athletes at the elite level of competition.
The rules for transgender athletes state:
"Those who transition from female to male (FTM) are eligible to compete in the male category upon providing a written and signed declaration acceptable to the UCI Medical Manager. It is the responsibility of athletes to be aware of current WADA/USADA policies and to file for appropriate therapeutic use exemptions."
It further says:
"The athlete must demonstrate that their total testosterone level in serum has been below 2.5 nmol/L for a period of at least 24 months and the total testosterone level in serum must remain below 2.5 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category."
More about the rise of trans sportswomen in the country
Notably, Tiffany Thomas is not the only transwoman to be in the headlines because of winning at sports competitions. Several transwomen have come forward to participate in the game and are winning those competitions.
Recently, trans swimmer Lia Thomas became the NCAA champion in March 2022. Besides her, Cece Telfer became the first openly trans woman to win an NCAA title when she placed first in the 400m hurdles at the Division II National Championships in 2019.
The sudden rise of trans women smashing women's records has agitated some people saying that women's rights in America are being destroyed.
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Shreya Das