Olympians slam ‘bonkers’ transgender policies and demand protection for women athletes

British Olympian Sharron Davies has led fresh criticism of transgender policies across sport.

The 59-year-old has been a vocal critic of transgender women taking part in sporting events – arguing that they have a genetic advantage over competitors who were born female.

British Rowing has faced a huge backlash recently for its decision to allow trans women to compete in female events with other sports weighing up their gender policies, alongside World Athletics.

Ex-Team GB silver medalist Davies was speaking at the Filia Feminist Conference alongside Mara Yamauchi when she demanded more protection for women athletes moving forward.

“In every single medal I’ve ever won there was an East German in front of me who was on drugs. I know how it feels to be cheated out of medals when you could do nothing about it. No matter how hard I trained, six hours a day, I could not bridge that gap,” she said.

“I don’t want that to happen to another generation of young females. Why are we having to have Lia Thomases before we step back and go – there is a difference between male and female biology? This is just crazy.”

Yamauchi added: “All these national governing bodies saying, yes, males can compete in women’s sport, it’s completely bonkers to me. I just don’t know how we’re in this situation.

“The fact of the matter is that now in the UK, boxing – as much as my understanding – is the only sport in which the women’s category is for females only… So it’s fair to say that women’s sport does not exist. This is not an exaggeration.”