Hulking transgender athletes take gold, silver and bronze spots on female podium at Virginia cycling championship

Transgender athletes swept nan committee successful a 1-2-3 astatine a prestigious women's rhythm title complete nan weekend, infuriating fans and leaving female competitors successful nan shade.

Every medalist successful nan elite women's Madison astatine Virginia's Marymore Grand Prix connected Friday had a trans jock connected nan two–person team, marking nan first clip trans women are known to person had a spot connected each podium spot successful a race.

Race venue nan Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome successful Redmond warns it will not tolerate 'bullying aliases derogatory comments particularly related to race, creed, religion, gender identity, intersexual orientation, nationalist origin, beingness aliases intelligence disability'.

But nan show of nan heavily-built winners towering complete their rivals and teammates connected nan podium has dismayed fans of nan sport.

'This is truthful egregious I can't ideate really group watched this hap and thought this was ok,' wrote one.

Leading nan section was Jordan Lothrop who was achieving podium finishes against men successful nan Victoria Cycling League successful her autochthonal Canada as precocious arsenic past year.

The sailing instrumentality from British Columbia has worked arsenic a Mechanical Engineering Technologist and was classed 22nd successful nan men's Victoria Cycling League this clip successful 2023.

Second spot went to Jenna Lingwood, 43, who raced arsenic a man until 2017 and is now a personnel of nan Oregon-based women's cyclocross squad Team S&M.

She is simply a physics postgraduate of nan University of Washington who useful successful Portland for Intel arsenic a Supply Chain R&D Engineer. 

Taking 3rd spot was Californian Eva Lin, 28, who utilized to title arsenic Henry Lin for San Jose State University's men's team, but whose placings person soared since she switched to its women's squad successful 2022.

The sport's governing body, nan Union Cycliste Internationale, past twelvemonth banned transgender athletes who person transitioned aft antheral puberty from competing successful world events.

USA Cycling introduced caller rules successful January requiring transgender athletes to acquisition 'elite jock fairness evaluations' by independent aesculapian panels if they wish to compete successful apical events.

They must besides beryllium that their testosterone levels person been beneath 2.5 nanomoles per liter for astatine slightest 24 months.

But those competing astatine amateur level request only compete a 'self-identity verification request', which will beryllium reviewed by a USA Cycling Technical Director.

The norm alteration came amid outrage astatine 2 trans athletes taking first and 2nd astatine nan Illinois State Cyclocross Championships successful October.

The statement complete whether transgender women should beryllium allowed to compete successful female sports is 1 of nan astir contentious societal issues of nan moment.

Supporters opportunity it is sadistic to prohibition trans women from competing successful thing that they bask - and item really susceptible nan transgender organization are to violence.

Critics opportunity it is simply unfair to fto athletes who person gone done antheral puberty compete against biologic women. The subject surrounding lowering testosterone levels is still being studied - but wins by immoderate trans athletes would propose they clasp a sizeable advantage complete biologic women.

Anti-trans campaigners opportunity it is besides unfair to fto trans women athletes return scholarships and prize money intended for biologic female athletes.  

Tessa Johnson, 25, won golden and Evelyn Williamson, 30, silver, successful nan women's SingleSpeed, leaving bronze badge victor Allison Zmuda arsenic nan only biologic female connected nan podium.

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was hoping to correspond nan US astatine adjacent month's Summer Olympics aft winning an NCAA swimming title successful 2022.

But past period nan Court of Arbitration for Sport successful Switzerland upheld a World Aquatics prohibition connected transgender women who person been done antheral puberty from competing successful world events.

The NCAA allows trans athletes to compete successful women's events if they person completed a twelvemonth of testosterone suppression curen and if they meet nan testosterone level required by their sport's nationalist aliases world governing body.

But it announced a reappraisal of its argumentation successful May amid continued concerns that increasing up arsenic a man is capable to guarantee a imperishable beingness advantage.

And nan statement was reignited earlier this period erstwhile Nikki Hiltz, a transgender non-binary runner qualified for US Olympic squad aft winning nan Women's 1,500-meter title astatine tests complete nan weekend.

The Biden White House projected past twelvemonth to revise Title IX to barroom schools from enforcing bans connected transgender athletes.

It announced extended Title IX protections for LGBTQ students past period but was silent connected nan rumor of trans athletes successful schools, insisting its reappraisal is 'ongoing'.

Meanwhile astatine slightest 20 US states person approved immoderate type of a prohibition connected school-aged transgender athletes.

But nan Republican Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox vetoed a trans sports ban because his authorities had conscionable 4 transgender athletes among 85,000 schoolchildren.

Lothrop, Lingwood and Lin were 3 of conscionable 4 transgender cyclists competing astatine nan Marymore Grand Prix complete nan weekend, but their domination successful their chosen arena did small to placate their critics.

'There was nary Women's Madison astatine nan Marymoor Grand Prix,' wrote one. 'If men are racing against women it's an Open event.'

'Says truthful overmuch astir nan antheral psyche to me! What quiet 'wins'! Embarrassing for everyone concerned!' added another.

'Way to spell men. Show them females who's nan strongest.'

The venue, which has hosted 8 US championships says that cyclists successful Category three, four, and Novice races 'may self-select nan section that champion fits pinch their gender identity'.

'Athletes successful categories 1 and 2 whitethorn participate successful nan gendered section which is astir athletically appropriate, arsenic wished by nan USA Cycling Transgender Athlete Participation Policies connected Elite Competition.

'We pridefulness ourselves connected being an inclusive way and are pursuing nan USACycling rules erstwhile it comes to transgender participation.'