A transgender female appeared to finish in first place at a New York City cycling event on Sunday.
A social media post from NYC Cycling News showed Tiffany Thomas standing in between two biological females as the first-place winner of Randall’s Island Criteriums on Sunday. Thomas is a transgender woman who rides for LA Sweat.
“Tiffany is a scientist by day, athlete by night,” Thomas’ bio states. “Her favorite organ are the blood cells. You will never see anyone with a bigger smile than when she sees a beautiful electron microscopy picture of a red cell. She has never met a barbell, a bike, or a dog that she doesn’t like. She is so incredibly excited to race and represent the LA Sweat team this year!!!”
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It appeared to be the first time Thomas has finished in first place this year. Thomas has finished in first place 16 total times in her career, according to her Road Results page.
On her Road Results page, Thomas is listed in Category 1 which is considered an elite level under USA Cycling rules. USA Cycling follows the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rules regarding transgender athletes at the elite level of competition. USA Cycling points out the “main points” on its website.
“Those who transition from female to male (FTM) are eligible to compete in the male category upon providing a written and signed declaration acceptable to the UCI Medical Manager. It is the responsibility of athletes to be aware of current WADA/USADA policies and to file for appropriate therapeutic use exemptions,” the first rule states.
“Those who transition from male to female (MTF) are eligible to compete in the female category under the following conditions:
“The athlete has declared that their gender identity is female.”
“The athlete must demonstrate that their total testosterone level in serum has been below 2.5 nmol/L for a period of at least 24 months.”
“The athlete’s total testosterone level in serum must remain below 2.5 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.”
USA Cycling says it is “committed to ensuring that all USA Cycling members have equal access and opportunities to participate in cycling events in a manner that is fair to all competitors while preserving the integrity of the sport and respecting international competition regulations.”
It appeared Thomas began to race at the elite level in the summer of 2019 and before that competed in Categories 5-3, which is considered non-elite.
Word of Thomas’ win caught win on social media and drew outrage.
From collegiate athletics to high school sports, a debate has grown over whether having transgender women and girls compete against biological females and girls is really an equal playing field.
Lia Thomas, a transgender female, won an NCAA women’s swimming championship in the 500 free last March. The debate has even gone to the doorstep of the NCAA.
Recently, a Vermont Christian school was banned from future state-sanctioned tournaments for its girls basketball team’s refusal to play another opponent who had a transgender girl on the team.
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