A transgender mountain biker in New Zealand made waves after riding in a national championship Sunday as a woman, only weeks after competing in the male division.
Transgender mountain biker Kate Weatherly, a biological male who now identifies as a female, competed in the women’s division three weeks after competing as a man, despite rules requiring transgender athletes to have testosterone levels within an acceptable range for 12 months or more. He won first place in the women’s national mountain biking championships in Wanaka.
“She’s been riding as a guy for four or five years then with no stand down period whatsoever she was in the girls’ category,” competitor Shania Rawson told The New Zealand Herald. “I thought there would be some sort of stand down period for that situation.” Rawson explained the female athletes were not told Weatherly could ride in the female division as soon as he did, given the rules require a transgender athlete to show consistent acceptable testosterone levels for at least 12 months prior to competition.
“I’ve got nothing against Kate at all … I’m just confused by the rules and am trying to figure it all out,” Rawson said.
Weatherly rode for a number of years as a male until December 2017 when he announced he would compete as a woman.
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Cycling New Zealand rules posit that a biologically male transgender athlete who wishes to compete as a woman must demonstrate testosterone levels of less than 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to competition. A regulation committee can extend that time if it determines that 12 months is not a sufficient amount of time to minimize the advantage the athlete might have. Transgender athletes must also declare their gender identity and cannot change that identity for at least four years thereafter.
Only five athletes competed in the national championships because a number of women refused to race in a competition they didn’t think was fair.
“If everyone’s not happy then maybe everyone’s not doing their best racing and I just want everyone to be having fun and doing their best,” Weatherly said, according to The New Zealand Herald.
Cycling New Zealand Chairman Andrew Matheson did not explain the likely breach of the policy requirement, saying only that Weatherly met acceptable testosterone levels. “Kate Weatherly was within that policy and entitled to race,” he said.
Cycling New Zealand did not reply to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment in time for publication. (RELATED: Testosterone-Pumped Transgender Wrestler Wins State Title For Second Consecutive Year)
The controversy comes after a Texas transgender wrestler won her second state title Saturday, sparking further concern among parents and competitors over the high school competition’s fairness. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, USA Wrestling and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency rules all classify Beggs as male because the biological female exceeds the range of acceptable testosterone levels for females, reported Fox4 News.
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