Trans Cyclist’s Victory at USA Event Sparks Outrage from Female Athletes
Controversy is swirling around the USA Cycling Masters National Championships in Wisconsin after Kate Phillips, a trans-identifying athlete, won gold in the women’s event. The victory prompted a dramatic protest and renewed debate over transgender participation in women’s sports.
“I Don’t Want to Race Against a Man”
Veteran cyclist Julie Peterson, who finished second, refused to stand on the podium after the race, telling Fox News Digital, “You could clearly see the power that he had.” She expressed frustration that she wasn’t informed of Phillips’ registration in advance and said she would’ve skipped the event entirely had she known.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to race against a man,’ and they quickly scolded me… and corrected that it is a woman,” she said. “I don’t even know what to say.”
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More Riders Speak Out
Fellow cyclist Debbie Milne, who finished seventh, echoed similar sentiments. “He was born a biological male, that is a fact,” she said. “There’s nothing that can stimulate what a born female goes through… even that alone is a disadvantage.”
Milne added she also had no prior knowledge of Phillips’ entry: “I totally did not expect this… I’d like to have known that’s what the terms were.”
Kristina Gray, another veteran cyclist from Oregon, shared that trans competitors have become a regular fixture in her local races: “Practically every weekend, there’s a biological male in our races.”
USA Cycling’s Policy Under Scrutiny
The race, sanctioned by USA Cycling, followed its official transgender eligibility policy, which allows biological males to compete in women’s events under certain conditions. These include declaring a female gender identity and undergoing a fairness evaluation process if competing in championship-level events.
Furthermore, this controversy is the latest in a growing list of disputes involving national sports bodies. USA Gymnastics recently paused its transgender policy for legal review. USA Fencing is considering changes following protests and political pressure. However, USA Track and Field now defers to World Athletics guidelines for eligibility.
As of now, USA Cycling has not commented on the protest or the backlash from athletes.
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