The success of transgender cyclist Austin Killips at the Tour of the Gila sparked debate about cycling’s inclusion policy.Credit:Tour of the Gila
However,the ban may not be enforced in all Australian competitions,or at lower levels of the sport. AusCycling confirmed on Monday it would develop its own policy for transgender and gender-diverse athletes for the competitions it governs,acknowledging that it may not match the global stance.
“We do not currently have a specific policy regarding the participation of transgender athletes in cycling events. We will be establishing a working group that will be charged with drafting our policy,” an AusCycling spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the working group would be formed in coming months.
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“This is a complex issue,and we want to ensure we take a thorough,well-informed approach. We recognise the importance of aligning with the UCI,but it is also important to have a clear and informed policy of our own across all levels and disciplines of our sport.”
AusCycling’s UK counterpart banned trans cyclists before the UCI,while USA Cycling’s presidenttold cycling publicationVeloit is now reviewing its policy.
The UCI ban came a month after the Australian Institute of Sportreleased its national framework to guide sports authorities on how to assess transgender eligibility in elite settings.