British Triathlon to ban transgender women competing against females

Triathlon is set to ban transgender women competing in elite female competitions even if they have not gone through male puberty.

British Triathlon will on Wednesday plan to become the first national governing body (NGB) to publish a proposed new trans policy following the toxic row to gulf sport over swimmer Lia Thomas and cyclist Emily Bridges.

Telegraph Sport has been told the policy will be the strictest yet announced this summer following those brought in by Thomas’ and Bridges’ respective world governing bodies, Fina and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Fina and the UCI tightened their own rules around trans women last month, with the former banning anyone to have gone through male puberty from elite female competitions and announcing plans to introduce a new open category for them to race in.

The Telegraph has been told British Triathlon plans to ban anyone born male from elite female categories amid concerns allowing puberty to be the cut-off could put pressure on children to transition.

It also plans to create an open category in which trans women can compete.

To that end, it is expected to announce its new policy will be phased in during the coming years to give it time to create such a category.

Fina imposed a ban only on those to have gone through male puberty after citing evidence indicating those to have transitioned afterwards enjoyed legacy advantages over those born female.

It believed this to be the most legally and ethically-sustainable policy for swimming.

The UCI stuck with the previous approach of many sports to allow trans women in elite female competitions provided they took steps to reduce their testosterone levels.

It halved the maximum amount trans women were allowed from 5 nanomoles per litre to 2.5 and doubled the period of time they had to remain beneath that from one to two years.

British Triathlon’s policy is set to be announced just over a week after it was one of several NGBs to attend a summit called by Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary, in which she told them to ban trans women from elite female competitions.