USA Cycling to revise transgender athlete policy
Announcement follows UCI's decision
On Friday, USA Cycling announced it will be changing the current policy for transgender cyclists’s competition eligibility, according to a report in Velo. This revision follows the news that the UCI has banned Transgender women from competing in the women’s category, and the creation of a new “open” division.
“At an extraordinary meeting held on July 5, the management committee of the UCI decided to adapt the current UCI rules on the right of female transgender athletes to take part in competitions on the UCI International Calendar,” a statement from the UCI read. “From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in women’s events on the UCI International Calendar–in all categories–in the various disciplines.”
This was a change to the previous policy, which meant that cyclists who transitioned from male to female could compete if they had testosterone under 2.5 nanomoles per liter for at least two years. However, the international cycling body has updated its policy, stating that “does not confirm that at least two years of gender-affirming hormone therapy with a target plasma testosterone concentration of 2.5 nmol/L is sufficient to completely eliminate the benefits of testosterone during puberty in men.”
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In a statement to Velo, USAC CEO Brendan Quirk said the American federation will respond to the updates from the UCI.
“In light of the recent announcement by the UCI on the changes to its Transgender Eligibility Regulations, USA Cycling will revise its elite competition eligibility accordingly,” he said.
