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Several cybernauts have criticized transgender cyclist Austin Killips' recent win in the women’s category of the Tour of the Gila competition, held in New Mexico on Sunday, April 20, 2023. Her win kicked off a discourse on whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports.
The 27-year-old athlete, who won stage five, claiming the title as well as the "Queen of Mountain" Jersey for being the best climber, wrote about her win on her Instagram, stating:
"After a week of nonsense on the internet I'm especially thankful to everyone in the peloton and sport who continue to affirm that Twitter is not real life."
Austin Killips won by a lead of eight seconds ahead of Mexican Marcela Prieto and topped the general classification by a minute and 29 seconds.
The win has been met with backlash from professional cyclists and organizations alike. While Inga Thompson, a three-time Olympian, said that UCI's (Union Cycliste Internationale) governing body was "killing off women's cycling," Canada's Olympic silver medallist Alison Sydor stated that Killips's participation itself was "no different functionally than doping."
International governing bodies such as World Athletics, World Aquatics, and British Cycling don't allow transgender women to compete in any female categories.
Netizens too were left disappointed after Killips' win.
Internet users enraged over Austin Killips' win, say "this madness has to stop"
As news of Austin Killips winning the UCI Tour of the Gila competition spread, netizens were left shocked and angered. They called the 27-year-old cyclist a "cheat" and demanded that female sports organizations take strict measures to ensure they are protected from turning into a "2nd class men's sport."
Here are some reactions seen on Twitter critical of Autin's win:
Union Cycliste Internationale defends its rules, calls for an open discussion
After facing backlash following Austin Killips' win, UCI released a statement on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, stating:
"The UCI rules are based on the latest scientific knowledge and have been applied in a consistent manner. The UCI continues to follow the evolution of scientific findings and may change its rules in the future as scientific knowledge evolves."
The organization explained that their rules dictate that all transgender women must suppress their testosterone levels to 2.5 nmol/L for a 24-month period before being allowed to participate in any female sport.
They updated their policy in 2022 (regulations were set at 5 nmol/L for 12 months) after a controversy involving another transgender cyclist, Emily Bridges, who was stopped from competing due to her status as a transgender.
