Former British two-time Olympic decathlon gold-medallist has said that men who claim to be women should not be allowed to compete in women’s Olympic events.
Daley Thompson, who broke four world records, said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has turned “a blind eye” to the problems faced by female atheletes.
Currently, men who identify as female can compete in women’s events, if their testosterone is beneath a specified limit.
‘Not fair’
Thompson says he supports people who feel trapped in “somebody else’s body”, but said: “I also believe there should be a safe place for female athletes.
“It’s not compatible that transgender women should be able to go into those places. It’s patently not fair.”
The former athlete said that more women will need to speak out to persuade the IOC to introduce stricter rules for next year’s Olympics. He commented: “I don’t think some women understand what the consequences of not standing up will be for their daughters.”
It’s patently not fair.
Biology
Last year, former British Olympic gold-medallist Mary Peters joined a growing list of athletes concerned that allowing men who identify as female to compete against women is unfair.
Mary, now Lady Peters, who won gold in the women’s pentathlon in 1972, said men who identify as female cannot “compete on equal terms” with women.
She said: “If a man becomes a woman they still have that testosterone in their body and it is not an equal playing field”.
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