British Rowing bans transgender athletes from female races, creates open categories
The new policy will come into effect on September 11; apart from the women's category, all athletes will be eligible to compete in an 'open' category, while a 'mixed' category can be offered by organisers if 50% of crew are eligible from the women's category
Last Updated: 03/08/23 11:16am
British Rowing has banned transgender athletes from competing in elite female races, but has created three different categories that allow trans participation.
The sport's governing body announced the new policy on Thursday, confirming it will come into effect on September 11.
British Rowing said only athletes who are "assigned female at birth" will be eligible to compete in its women's competitions and represent Britain or England in international events.
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Apart from the women's category, all athletes will be eligible to compete in an 'open' category, while a 'mixed' category can be offered by organisers if 50% of crew are eligible from the women's category.
Transgender participation has become a major talking point in recent months as sports seek to balance inclusivity while ensuring there is no unfair advantage.
LGBT+ advocacy groups say some policies that exclude trans athletes amount to discrimination. Critics of trans inclusion in women's sport say going through male puberty imbues athletes with a significant musculo-skeletal advantage, something that transition does not mitigate in terms of meaningful competition in certain sports.
"British Rowing is committed to promoting an environment in which rowing is accessible and inclusive and to ensuring that we provide opportunities and enjoyment for everyone," the organisation said in a statement.
"In order to achieve this in a fair manner, we need to establish conditions for competition that guarantee fair and meaningful competition by placing necessary and proportionate restrictions on eligibility."
World Rowing, however, allows trans athletes to compete in the female category if they reduce their testosterone to below five nanomoles per litre for 12 months.
World Athletics, World Aquatics and cycling's governing body UCI are among global federations that have tightened their participation rules over the last couple of years.
Football's world governing body FIFA is also reviewing its transgender eligibility policies.
