Trans athletes must compete in a separate category – or I fear countless young women’s sporting dreams will be smashed
Olympic gold medallist – whose hero is a trans woman – bravely speaks out after MoS sparked a national debate...
competing and I had met her when I was the world’s number one female road cyclist, I doubt there would have been a competition. I would very likely have been the flyweight sent to the canvas in the first round.
There must be fairness to both trans and biological females. They must each have their own category so each group can enjoy fair competition on an equal basis. The field in the trans group will be smaller. If the motive to compete is genuine, competing fairly without a circus of discord is surely preferable. It would allow trans athletes to enjoy sport without distraction.
However, if a trans athlete’s true motive is the desire for fame and wealth – to access a subsequent career in I’m a Celebrity, or similar – then a dark path will lie ahead.
For them, it is not the competing that matters, only victory. Where, how and against whom is forgotten. It is similar to the drug-taker’s outlook – and I have met plenty. Damage to others on their desperate and selfish journey, is ignored.
Undoubtedly if trans athletes are put into a separate category, they will not be afforded the financial opportunities that are available to biological females through prize money and sponsorships. Yes, that will be unfair. A fact of life is that, in 2022, the opportunities available to male athletes are not available to their female counterparts. Sporting media remains hugely male dominated. The bias is not as bad as it was when I was ten, but I am confident that it will still be a work-inprogress when I am 70.
Sadly, experience tells me that sports administrators – the International Olympic Committee, UK Sport and the like – will prevaricate; they will set up studies and review boards who will delay and obfuscate. Since in the UK, virtuyear-old. ally all Olympic sports are publicly funded, politicians need to exercise their power over UK Sport to solve this problem quickly and to let us take an international lead.
A separate category is required. The biological change required for competitive fairness in sport, between both trans athletes and women, cannot be achieved.
If ever you get lost in this debate then harness your inner tenYou wouldn’t want to compete with the bigger boys and girls. Nor do you want to beat the little ones. That would be worthless. You would want to match yourself against the other tenyear-olds. You love sport for the competition.
My inner ten-year-old loved Robert Millar.
‘One of the best gifts that I ever received was when Pippa York sent me an actual polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey worn in the men’s Tour de France.
‘I will hold that dear for the rest of my life. My hero – a trans athlete.