Former Olympic Cyclist Speaks on WNBA Rallies Supporting Girls’ Sports

Inga Thompson, a former Olympic cyclist, has voiced her support for female-only categories in sports during an interview on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’. This discussion follows a rally in Portland where Thompson commended WNBA star Sophie Cunningham for her courage in advocating for fairness within girls’ sports. She underscored the ongoing battle, lasting over 50 years, to uphold Title IX protections as sports organizations navigate the complexities surrounding biological males competing in women’s events.

Nicola Cranmer, who manages the Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 women’s cycling team, released comments to OutKick after her team participated in the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, where a biological male trans athlete also competed. Interestingly, this athlete did not finish the race.

With more than two decades in women’s cycling, Cranmer stressed the need to “protect the integrity and fairness” of the sport. She mentioned, “I feel strongly about protecting the integrity and fairness of the women’s category,” reflecting her commitment to advancing opportunities for female athletes.

Cranmer stated that eligibility for events should be determined by clear and consistent rules set by governing bodies like the UCI, and that these rules must be fairly applied to all athletes. She noted, “The UCI has established specific eligibility requirements for participation in the women’s category, and those regulations need to be respected to ensure confidence in the competition’s fairness.” Her comments also prompted her to question whether the eligibility process for the trans athlete had aligned with current UCI policies.

One race official confirmed to OutKick that all participants were required to have valid international racing licenses, which were verified against UCI records prior to the event. In the case of the trans athlete, Amanda Tait, her licensing information suggested she was eligible to compete in the women’s division, as nothing indicated her ineligibility.

However, community members quickly raised concerns once they recognized Tait on the broadcast. Officials noted that Tait was identified during the race but was ultimately removed from competition under standard time-cut procedures before further eligibility actions could occur. It appears that event staff and others were unaware of the eligibility dispute until it became a topic of concern.

According to available information, the local registration team followed the appropriate procedures, as Tait was cleared to participate under USA Cycling’s guidelines. The trans athlete has previously competed in numerous women’s events, including a fourth-place finish at the USA Cycling Masters and Junior Road National Championships.

USA Cycling recently revised its competition policy concerning trans athletes, but critics argue that its provisions are insufficient to safeguard the women’s division effectively. The policy currently defines “female” based on biological sex, relying on self-certification and documentation that may allow for loopholes in some jurisdictions.

This ongoing debate echoes similar situations, such as the one involving trans cyclist Austin Killips, whose competitive success has raised fairness concerns among her female counterparts. Notably, USA Cycling holds the exclusive authority to determine a rider’s category status, leaving little recourse for female competitors or race officials to question eligibility on race day.

Efforts to seek comments from USA Cycling and the UCI regarding their enforcement process were not met with a response before publishing this article.