By Erian Jane Prosser
03:23 21 February 2024, Updated 03:27 21 February 2024
- People born biologically female can enter British Cycling in its women's division
Trans cyclist Emily Bridges has vowed to take British Cycling to court after it banned transgender people from competing in the women's division last year.
The athlete had hoped to compete at the Paris Olympics this summer, but admitted a part of her life was 'gone now' and said competing was 'something I don't want to do anymore'.
Miss Bridges, 23, was given the option to compete in the 'open' category alongside other disabled athletes, men and women.
Nevertheless, the cyclist revealed that she would not feel safe competing alongside men, saying that transgender people do not have to 'out' themselves to compete.
He told ITV: 'I don't care if I don't run again. It's for other people who want to compete, it's about what's right.'
The athlete quickly became one of the world's most famous transgender athletes when cycling's governing body announced last year that only biologically born women could enter its women's division.
The controversial decision came after nine months of deliberations.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the rule was introduced, Miss Bridges said the rule would ban some elite cyclists from competing.
'Prohibition is prohibition. You can say you can compete in the open category, but we are women – we have to race in the women's category,' the cyclist told the broadcaster.
Asked if she would return to the game, Miss Bridges added: 'It's not something I allow myself to think too much about because it's a part of my life that's gone now and it's not something I want to do anymore.
'If we were allowed to compete, if they allowed me to compete, it would be a different conversation, but I can't compete.'
Miss Bridges, who switched to testosterone blockers, hit back at British Cycling's peer-reviewed claim that transgender athletes retain a performance advantage after puberty.
She questioned how many studies were done on athletes, revealing that she participated in research led by Loughborough University that assessed the fairness of trans women competing against cis women.
The athlete believes British Cycling has breached human rights and plans to take the sports body to court.
He added: 'If you exclude transgender people from public life, it is very easy to ban us from other aspects of public life.'
At the time British Cycling made the decision, the Welsh athlete called it 'genocide against us' and said the move could mean he quit competitive cycling.
The cyclist, who set the national junior men's record over 25 miles in 2018, said at the time: 'I have to consider a plan to get off this horrible island.'
MailOnline has contacted British Cycling for comment.
„Całkowity introwertyk. Nieprzejednany specjalista od sieci. Przyjazny fanatyk bekonu. Student ekstremalnych. Miłośnik piwa. Organizator.”