Amelia Strickler, a 24-year-old British-American shot putter who won a silver medal at the 2017 British Athletics Championships, said Wednesday that World Athletics rules governing trans athletes put biological women at a disadvantage. .
World Athletics announced a proposal that limited the maximum amount of testosterone to 2.5 nanomoles per liter of blood. The previous amount was 5 nanomoles for one year. The threshold is now set at two years. The governing body for athletics said that using testosterone caps was its «preferred option.»
The new proposal breaks with the governing bodies of swimming, rugby union and rugby league, which have essentially banned those who have gone through male puberty from competing in an elite women’s sport.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Amelia Strickler of Great Britain competes in the women’s shot put qualification round during the European Athletics Indoor Championships at Torun Arena on March 4, 2021 in Torun, Poland.
(Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images)
The rules didn’t sit well with Strickler, who said the eligibility requirements still put women at a disadvantage.
«The effects of hormones and hormone replacements will not eliminate the male puberty advantage, and would leave us women at a serious disadvantage,» Strickler told BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday.
«It’s happening at the grassroots level in Parkruns and athletics at the club level. It’s a domino effect, one person taking the place of a woman and those results, it all matters to people… this will be in elite athletics sooner than we think.»
Strickler said he didn’t feel he would have any choice but to accept the rules if officials vote on them in March.
England’s Amelia Strickler competes during the women’s shot put athletics final event at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, on day six of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, central England, on August 3, 2022.
(BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
TRANS RIGHTS THROWS TITLE IX INTO POLITICAL FIGHT AID STATE BATTLES: ‘LOOKS LIKE A BUNGER’
«Do I have another option? The document struck me after (World Athletics president) Seb Coe showed a lot of support for FINA, which decided to make an open and women’s category in swimming,» he said. «I was quite surprised that they were going to allow it to continue, even if they are making the rules stricter.
«It’s something that me, my teammates and my colleagues, we all work hard day in and day out, we don’t want this to happen. I hope people see that an open category is still fair and inclusive, but we have to protect women’s sport and we have to make sure that women are not so disadvantaged.
FINA, the governing body for international swimming, changed its eligibility rules for transgender people at the height of scrutiny over Lia Thomas’ ability to participate in the NCAA and conference championships in early 2022. The «policy FINA’s Gender Inclusion Policy will only allow swimmers who transitioned before the age of 12 to compete in women’s events.
Coe praised FINA’s efforts at the time, despite the backlash.
Amelia Strickler of Thames Valley Harriers competes in the Womens Shot Put during the Muller UK Athletics Championships at Manchester Regional Arena on June 26, 2022 in Manchester, England.
(Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“We have always believed that biology trumps gender, and we will continue to review our regulations in line with this,” he said last summer.
Strickler received support for his stance from some British athletes on social media, but said there are more who support it but have not come out publicly.
«Athletics is not (football), we don’t make a lot of money. Contracts and funding are important. A lot of people don’t want to jeopardize that and don’t want to be called transphobic.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«It’s not about not including people, that’s certainly not what I’m saying. I just think we need to protect the female gender and women’s sport.»