Cynical cycling

She started cycling at nine years old, and was just ten when she started competing. "I've always found solaceComfort in times of sadness or worry. in the outdoors and being connected," she says. "As a kid, cycling was the thing that made me happiest in the world."

Emily Bridges had a sparkling career ahead of her. She won her first national title in 2019 and collected an impressive number of trophies in the years that followed.

But she was excluded from competing in the British National OmniumA multiple race event in track cycling. Championships in 2022 after cycling's governing body, the UCI, judged her ineligibleNot meeting the conditions needed to take part. to compete in the women's section of the competition.

She has become embroiledInvolved in a difficult or complicated situation. in a global debate. Some believe that transgender women should not be allowed to compete against cisgenderA person whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. The term was first used in academic articles in the 1990s. women, arguing that the biological inequalities are insurmountableToo great to be beaten..

Increasingly, sporting bodies are setting strict regulations for their transgender competitors, or banning them outright. Many sporting boards have set regulations for testosteroneThe hormone that causes people to develop male sexual characteristics. Women also produce some testosterone. levels in their female competitors. Average testosterone levels in women are around 0.3 to 2.4 nanomoles per litre - ten times lower than in men - and it is suggested that higher testosterone levels provide an athletic advantage.

Many believe that this advantage can be reduced or removed through hormoneChemicals carried in the bloodstream that alter the way your body's systems act.  therapy. But some argue that even when testosterone is reduced, advantages in height, physiqueThe form or build of a person's body. and muscle mass may remain.

There is no scientific consensusGeneral agreement. It was originally a Latin word., and each study seems to find different results. A 2020 study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine stated that people who go through male pubertyThe time in a person's life when they go through physical and hormonal changes, changing from being a child to being an adult. have greater heart and lung capacity, more muscle mass and lower body fat, and that this can never be balanced out.¹

But a more recent report from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport concluded that trans women that have begun testosterone suppressionKeeping or holding something back. have no clear biological advantage over cisgender women.²

Some have proposed three categories: two for cisgender men and women, and one open category. But transgender people make up just 0.5% of the population in the UK,³ meaning that such a category would be impossible to make competitive.

Moreover, some say, variationA change in amount or level. in biological advantage is a normal part of competitive sport. For example, left-handed people, who make up just 10% of the population, have an advantage in a wide range of sports.

Should sex matter in sport?

Yes: Sports categories have always been gendered for a reason. Women have fought hard to be judged fairly in separate categories to men, and the integrity of these categories should be preserved.

No: Many studies suggest that hormone therapy and testosterone suppressants create a level playing field between cisgender and transgender women. Trans people should be allowed to compete in the category that aligns best with their gender identity.

Or... For now, even scientists are decided on this issue. As a result, many decisions are based on political opinions - rather than scientific evidence.