Emily Bridges

British Cycling accepts decision, but says riders deserve more clarity and understanding around participation in elite competitions.

“We believe that transgender and non-binary people should be able to find a home, feel welcome and included,” said a British Cycling spokesperson. Fina, world swimming’s governing body, are now also reviewing their transgender policy with a view to creating an “industry standard” across endurance sports. “I’m now trying to power a bigger frame but with a much reduced engine,” she said.

British Cycling says transgender cyclist Emily Bridges is not eligible to participate at Saturday's National Omnium Championships.

"Whatever level I'm riding at, I have such a passion for the sport that I love. I also want to show that people shouldn't have to choose between being themselves and doing the sport that they love. Opening up on her hopes for the future, she said: "There's such a long way to go in making sport, specifically cycling, more inclusive. "After starting hormone therapy I didn't want to race in the male category any more than I had to - obviously, it sucks, getting dropped, racing as a man when you're not one. I couldn't live like that any more - I couldn't be my true self." "Transgender and non-binary inclusion is bigger than one race and one athlete - it is a challenge for all elite sports.

The trans woman cyclist Emily Bridges has been blocked from participating in the British National Omnium Championship on Saturday after cycling's governing ...

“We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. We believe all participants within our sport deserve more clarity and understanding around participation in elite competitions and we will continue to work with the UCI on both Emily’s case and the wider situation with regards to this issue. “We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily’s participation, however we fully recognise her disappointment with today’s decision.”

British Cycling calls on governing bodies, transgender community and government “to come together and find a better answer”

Cyclist Emily Bridges has been deemed ineligible to compete against Laura Kenny this weekend - the 21-year-old was set to compete but the Union Cycliste ...

British Cycling expressed their sadness with the decision made and encouraged sporting governing bodies to come together and make better decisions for all athletes. As part of her gender dysphoria treatment, the athlete underwent hormone therapy and was eligible to compete in women's events due to lowered levels of testosterone. The cycling governing body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirmed she will be unable to compete in her first women's event.

Emily Bridges had been due to compete against five-time Olympic champion Dame Laura Kenny this weekend.

"We know that some of these conversations are happening in pockets of the sporting world, but we want to encourage all sporting governing bodies, athletes, the transgender and non-binary athlete community, the government and beyond to come together and find a better answer." It called for a coalition to "share, learn and understand more" about how fairness can be achieved in a way that "maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes". British Cycling said: "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.

The 21-year-old has been banned from the British National Omnium Championships by the UCI, the sport's world governing body.

“We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily’s participation, however we fully recognise her disappointment with today’s decision.” British Cycling has announced that transgender cyclist Emily Bridges is ineligible to race in the women’s event at the British National Omnium Championships this weekend.

Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges will not compete at Saturday's National Omnium Championships in her first women's event after a ruling by cycling's world ...

The 21-year-old has been banned from the British National Omnium Championships by the UCI, the sport's world governing body.

“We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily’s participation, however we fully recognise her disappointment with today’s decision.” British Cycling has announced that transgender cyclist Emily Bridges is ineligible to race in the women’s event at the British National Omnium Championships this weekend.

British trans rider Emily Bridges BLOCKED from competing in this weekend's National Omnium Championships against Dame Laura Kenny by world cycling body UCI - ...

‘I’m a little bit worried that (their participation in women’s events) will affect the fairness of competition.’ Following the controversy, British Cycling on Wednesday night called for a ‘coalition’ to address the issue of transgender participation. British transgender rider Emily Bridges has been denied the opportunity to race at this weekend's National Omnium Championships Bridges had been cleared to compete by British Cycling, having lowered her testosterone to the required level over a 12-month period. ‘Under the British Cycling transgender and non-binary participation policy, Emily Bridges was due to participate in the British National Omnium Championships. - Emily Bridges had hoped to compete at the National Omnium Championships

Emily Bridges, 21, will now not compete against five-time Olympic champion Dame Laura Kenny in the National Omnium Championships in Derby on Saturday.

Now known as Emily Bridges was going to race against women including Laura Kenny this weekend but this has been stopped at the 11th hour due to a technicality The advantages a trans woman has had from going through puberty as a boy to a man can never be undone.' She has called the decision a 'fudge' I would refuse to race and hope that the other women would stand with me on this. Her inclusion in women's events has left some female cyclists 'distressed' No amount of testosterone reduction can mitigate that, but we’re being told to turn a blind eye to science and biology, to keep quiet and suck it up'. British Cycling claimed last night they still need to look at the available science, even though the five British sports councils carried out a comprehensive review of the science six months ago. Davies, who has called for more current and former athletes to speak-up in the row (pictured: Her recent Tweet), says she has been contacted by a number of women cyclists who are afraid of the consequences of speaking out against the inclusion of former male sports stars It just seems so incredibly unfair.' She continued to compete as a man (pictured competing in a male race in 2018) after coming out as a transgender woman, winning the points race at last month's British Universities' Championships, as well as bronze in the men's team pursuit Sport is all about fairness there are ways to have inclusion without sacrificing Women’s sport. Miss Bridges has been told she has to wait until current UCI registration as a male rider expires and then she can re-register and compete as a woman, according to The Guardian.

Emily Bridges, the trans woman cyclist, will not compete at the National Omnium Championships on Sunday after a ruling by cycling's governing body, the UCI.

"We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. The statement read: "Transgender and non-binary inclusion is bigger than one race and one athlete – it is a challenge for all elite sports. This is a complex area and by uniting, we can share resources and insights. She also conceded, though, that there had been a "steady trickle" of hostile posts on the subject of her transition and participation in events. Is it a bridge of fair competition?" "I'm a little bit worried that [their participation in women's events] will affect the fairness of competition," he said.

Cycling authorities ruled that Bridges could not compete in this weekend's National Omnium Championships against the likes of Laura Kenny because her ...

This would, in effect, ban the likes of Bridges, Thomas and Hubbard from elite competition, as well as put all transgender athletes through a lot of trauma and bureaucracy. You could argue that the anger and bitterness at failing to make a final would be magnified if the successful opponent had a physical advantage because of biology, rather than being simply better on their day. “The number of people this is going to involve, you could not fill a room, never mind surround women’s sport. But with cases like Bridges, or Lia Thomas in the US swimming competition earlier in March or the weightlifter Laurel Hubbard at the Tokyo Olympics, it is all too easy to forget that there is a human being at the centre of all the shouting and accusations from either side. Indeed, she won the men’s points race at the British Universities Championships in Glasgow in February. She has a physical advantage over biological women, despite the fact that she identifies as a transgender woman and, according to current parameters, would have been eligible to compete in the female competition. The big difference of course is that transgender athletes do not deliberately set out to cheat.