World Triathlon Adopts Policy That Will Allow Transgender Athletes in Women’s Competition
World Triathlon, the global governing body of the sport, announced its transgender policy on Wednesday. The decision by World Triathlon will allow transgender athletes to compete in the women’s category, a decision which runs counter to the policy that FINA, swimming’s governing body, unveiled earlier this year.
Notably, World Triathlon will require competitors to have a testosterone level of 2.5 nmol/L for a two-year period before competing in the women’s category. Additionally, competitors must not have competed in the male category – in any sport – for a period of four years. The testosterone level identified for use by World Triathlon remains higher than the average testosterone production of a biological female.
Here is the full policy from World Triathlon
In a statement, the International Consortium On Female Sport, objected to the decision by World Triathlon, citing its infringement on fairness for female athletes.
“World Triathlon’s new policy on eligibility for the women’s category is a disappointment,” the ICFS said. “Allowing males into the female category is not compatible with fairness for female athletes.
“In its statement, the President says that World Triathlon ‘has always had inclusion and gender balance in our DNA’ and that the policy ‘shows that we are prioritizing the fairness principle but showing inclusiveness.’ This ‘but’ is significant. World Triathlon knows fairness does not permit inclusion in the female category of post-pubertal males. Sport achieves inclusion via categories: age, sex, Paralympic; not by including some older athletes into U14s or some able-bodied athletes into Para or some males into female categories.”
Here is the full statement from the International Consortium On Female Sport
I was a swimmer, high school and university. My husband started swimming in his late 20s, and is a weekend swimmer, while I still do rigorous swims.
We both did triathlons. I came in 3rd in the women’s swim. My husband’s swim time not only beat mine, but beat- by far- the #1 swimmer in the women’s category.
The difference between women and men is far more than testosterone levels.
Men’s internal, “womanly”, head feelz cannot be allowed to destroy women’s sports and women’s safety. No men in women’s sports, no men in women’s locker rooms.
The differences in physiology begin in the womb. This is terribly unfair.