In a less-than-crowded field, Sebastian Coe has distinguished himself as a resolute voice in sport’s rollback of gender ideology. Amid so much hand-wringing about the transgender debate, the president of World Athletics held firm last March in his long-stated belief that biology trumped gender, banning athletes who had gone through male puberty from the female category. How dismaying, then, to find 10 months later that his conviction comes with a caveat.
Tennis great Martina Navratilova took a swing at transgender cyclist Austin Killips, who won a women’s race in New Mexico – saying “trans identified male athletes” have no place in women’s sports.
In the world of women's pro cycling, it's becoming increasingly difficult to avoid racing against male-born athletes who identify as women. Just ask Hannah Arensman.