Austin Killips, a biological male, claimed first place in the women’s category of New Mexico’s Tour of the Gila cycling race, sparking renewed calls for a ban on transgender women in cycling, as reported by Fox News.
Killips had already been a subject of controversy prior to the race, with many questioning the appropriateness of a man competing in a women’s event.
Following his victory, race officials tweeted their congratulations, but disabled comments on the post, which many interpreted as an implicit acknowledgment of wrongdoing.
Hannah Arensman, a 25-year-old cycling champion, announced her retirement from the sport, citing the “unfair advantage” she believes men who identify as women possess in the sport.
In a statement released in March, Arensman said, “Over the past few years, I have had to race directly with male cyclists in women’s events. As this has become more of a reality, it has become increasingly discouraging to train as hard as I do only to have to lose to a man with the unfair advantage of an androgenized body that intrinsically gives him an obvious advantage over me, no matter how hard I train.”
Arensman recounted her experience at the UCI Cyclocross National Championships in December 2022, where she finished fourth in the elite women’s category, surrounded by male riders in third and fifth place.
She described the emotional toll it took on her family as they watched a man finish ahead of her during the race.
Arensman also expressed concern that her potential selection for the US team at Cyclocross Worlds in February 2023 may have been jeopardized by a male competitor.
She lent her support to West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports legislation by signing a brief filed in the state legislature in March.
The contentious victory of Killips led to a flurry of Twitter reactions, with many criticizing the race:
Other users offered their congratulations to the second-place finisher, a biological woman, and declared her the rightful winner:
The issue of transgender athletes in sports continues to be a point of contention, with opponents arguing that biological differences give transgender women an inherent advantage over their biological female counterparts.
As instances like Killips’ victory in the women’s cycling race continue to surface, the debate over fair competition and the rights of transgender athletes is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.
