[ad_1]
A silver medallist in the women’s individual pursuit at last week’s USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships has accused the governing body of “transphobia” after being stripped of her medal and removed from competition less than 24 hours later.
Leia Genis finished second in the women’s elite individual pursuit, behind Bethany Matsick, at last week’s national championships in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. However, the next day both of the bronze medal race participants, Skyler Espinoza and Elizabeth Stevenson, were upgraded to second and third respectively, and Genis removed from the results list.
Writing on Instagram alongside a picture of her standing on the podium next to Matsick and Espinoza, with a silver medal around her neck, Genis said the “transphobia” behind USA Cycling’s decision was “so blatant it’s almost laughable”.
“Being a trans woman in this sport is so incredibly frustrating,” Genis said. “Poorly-communicated guidelines, restrictions and requirements that are constantly changing, lack of empathy from USA Cycling, and a peloton full of furtive whispers and sideways glances mean that even showing up to compete is an immense struggle.
“I am obviously heartbroken. I have worked my ass off to be here and I rightfully earned my silver medal. I will continue to train and race but this experience has left me disgusted and abhorred.”
Genis also explained the events which saw her pulled from competition ahead of the next day’s events.
“I was preparing for the mass-start races, a USA Cycling official informed me that I was no longer allowed to compete and that my place on the IP [individual pursuit] podium was to be revoked on account of my trans identity,” Genis continued.
“Six weeks ago I was eligible for competition at UCI C1 and C2 races held at the same velodrome and overseen by the same technical director. Yet six weeks later, now that I am doing well at nationals, I am suddenly ineligible to compete. The transphobia is so blatant it’s almost laughable.”
Genis also took the opportunity to congratulate Matsick, who set a new track record in qualifying, on her “incredibly fast times”.
USA Cycling has been silent on the decision, with no comment other than to remove mention of Genis from the opening day’s results, leaving unanswered questions about why the athlete’s result was revoked and why, if ineligible to compete under the tightened UCI rules, she was allowed to race the event before being told. road.cc has contacted USA Cycling for comment.
From July 1, new UCI rules on transgender female cyclists competing in women’s races came into effect, doubling the time an athlete transitioning from male to female needs to wait before being able to compete in women’s races to 24 months.
It now stipulates that athletes transitioning from male to female need to have had testosterone levels below 2.5 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) for 24 months. Previously, the rules required testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L for 12 months.
USA Cycling has not stated if it was the UCI’s altered rules that led to the 25-year-old’s result being revoked, but as per the athlete’s Instagram, she began racing last year.
“Unfortunately, not everyone is happy to see a trans person racing,” she said at the time.
“Many of which have expressed their disapproval quite loudly. But there have also been many supporters and honestly, I’ve had so much fun, they couldn’t keep me away if they tried.”
In March, British-based racer Emily Bridges was barred from making her racing debut as a woman at the National Omnium Championships. British Cycling said that the UCI had intervened to say Bridges “is not eligible to participate in this event”.
[ad_2]
Source link
