British Cycling faces revolt as athletes blast its trans policy

OLYMPIC stars are leading a rebellion against British Cycling for trying to silence critics who question its transgender policy.

Sharron Davies and Daley Thompson have attacked cycling’s governing body for stifling the right of women to object to men competing in female events.

The free speech row erupted when British Cycling tweeted an updated version of its transgender policy last week and warned: ‘We take a zero-tolerance approach to instances of hate being targeted at individuals because of their views of gender identity.’

Davies, who won a swimming silver at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, said: ‘It’s your job to look after female athletes as well as male ones. The very least you could do is listen and work with the actual science.’

Thompson, who won decathlon golds in 1980 and 1984, backed Davies on Twitter, saying: ‘Why are they prepared to alienate at least 50 per cent of their audience?’

British Cycling’s transgender policy says that members should ‘accept all participants in the gender they present’ and that anyone breaching the guidelines, which includes ‘stigmatisation or discrimination’ against a competitor, will face ‘appropriate action’.

Some campaigners argue that the rules effectively gag members who believe that transwomen still retain a physical advantage because they were born male.

British Cycling said: ‘We will never accept racism, homophobia or transphobia.’